Things to Consider

Why Kids choose Camp Jump Start:

• FUN!
• May meet your best friend for life here!
• Meet kids from all over the world
• Accepted and celebrated for who you REALLY are here
• Bullying is NOT tolerated
• Learn new things without being judged
• Sports are non-competitive
• Boys and girls do NOT exercise together
• Private showers/ toilets in AIR-CONDITIONED cabins
• You will be in a cabin with campers your own age
• After the first week of camp you can call home/ friends every evening if you want
• Email access after the first week of camp
• A mom and dad living on site that makes everyone "play nice" so you feel safe!
• You will be known by all and remembered at Camp Jump Start
• ALL kids have been successful with weight loss

Why Parents choose Camp Jump Start:

• Accredited by nationally recognized organizations--we choose to voluntarily reach these high standards---not all camps do!
• American Camp Association, Better Business Bureau and the Missouri State Department of Health & Human Services
• Award Winning Program--Cooper Institute
• Annual Safety award winner--Markel Insurance
• Evidence based
• Outcomes published in peer reviewed journals
• Independently reviewed by: Schools of Medicine at Washington University, St. Louis University and Southern Illinois University
• Innovative certified/ licensed multidisciplinary team working directly with your children on a daily basis
• Health professionals trained in the treatment and prevention of childhood obesity
• Assessments and evaluations without additional fees
• Structured activities to sample and activities are based on interest without additional fees
• Nutritional information about healthy eating, cooking class, suggested menus/recipes for home use, portion control
• Support groups for children experiencing anxiety, grief and family issues such as separation/ divorce, adoption and blended families
• After camp free basic continuing education program and use of web self-monitoring tool for as long as you desire
• We are big enough for kids to have fun, but small enough for individual attention
• Access to the founders who are also parents and work with your child daily to discuss concerns when needed
• Following our guidelines--other members in the family lose weight and improve health

How to find a summer camp requires a great deal of effort on the part of the parent. It is important to check out a summer weight loss camp VERY carefully. If it is not accredited then there is no one looking closely at the way the camp functions. Saying one is a member/affiliate of an organization does NOT mean it is accredited. NEVER assume that everything is as it seems unless an INDEPENDENT review is conducted!

Camp Jump Start raised the bar for the entire summer weight loss camp industry. We have been independently reviewed by Washington University Medical Centers (one of the top ten ranked in the nation by US News & World Report) Southern Illinois University Medical Center and the Cooper Institute.

CJS is the first camp to have a multidisciplinary team working directly with your children. Health professionals trained in the treatment and prevention of childhood obesity. A licensed therapist developed a curriculum for children from separated and divorced families. Yet none of our programming feels sterile and there is no stigma attached. CJS simply provides for your child holistically. We are big enough for kids to have fun, but small enough for individual attention. Your child will be known by all and remembered at Camp Jump Start.

Our tuition is an all-inclusive price. Transportation and medications are family responsibilities as always. But there are no hidden charges. Your child may pick and choose what activities are available based on interest not on affordability. Our assessments and evaluations are also included in the tuition. This is not considered inpatient care and our care is not represented as such, although health professionals are teaching the health classes and observing your child. We do contact your personal pediatrician with concerns. This provides for a team of experts for an intensive program, but in a supportive family atmosphere without the sterile medical set-up.

Although this is health education...kids learn best while having fun. This is how true understanding occurs from knowledge that many already have...but when you reach the understanding level of how it effects them...that is when true lifestyle change can occur. We know how to reach kids and that is why kids are so successful with our Camp Jump Start program..even when they failed other camps!

Our weight loss plan includes nutritional information about healthy eating, suggested menus/recipes, portion control, self-monitoring, lifestyle changes with counseling as needed. Kids will take control of their health.

Caloric intake varies between 1400-1600 calories per day based on age, gender and needs. There are three meals and two snacks. Open salad bar at lunch and dinner for those still hungry. CJS has normal food and snacks include things like brownies and root beer floats!

Your child will be evaluated at the beginning and the end of camp so that you will see the value in your investment. But more importantly it will show your child just how much better they have gotten. This information will be kept in the Jump Zone---our after-camp care plan for your child. You, your child and their pediatrician will have access to this site, so that you can stay on track. We do not charge extra for follow-up care! (But you do have to have access to a computer with internet.)

Camp Jump Start has curriculum for two years, so your child can return with new things to learn if they choose to come back for a second year. Again individual needs are looked at closely and a care plan is developed between parents, child and camp. (Including your pediatrician if needed.) We have homework for parents so that you can set yourself up for continued success. This is how we create healthier family units.

Most children will return to motivational weekend/reunion camps to keep on track and to see the best friends of their life. It is a great incentive to keep on the healthy path since they really do have the best summer of their life at Camp Jump Start.

Unlike big business "cult-like diet" camps we do NOT want your children to come back to weight loss camp yearly---we want them to maintain their control over their life and continue on their own with success! That is what our curriculum sets them up to do.

SOME other camps actually offer incentive bonuses to head staff to recruit more than 50% of the kids back to weight loss camp. You will not find that at CJS. Nor will you find us paying people to write nice things about us. There is no deceptive marketing here. What you see is what you get!