Program Director Reveals Strong Results After Only One Semester
The only college program for overweight students focuses on improving overall health and fitness
Academy of the Sierras (AOS), the world’s first boarding school for overweight children, teens and young adults, has launched the first college program for weight loss in the world. AOS teamed up with Reedley College in the fall of 2007 to offer its proven fitness and weight loss program to college students.
“We have been helping young people lose weight for years and saw the need for our program in the college setting,” said Phil Obbard, Executive Director, AOS California. “The first semester was a huge success and we are receiving quite a bit of interest in expanding the college program.”
Enrollment for spring semester has nearly doubled that of last year. Students are seeing the success of their peers and want to get involved. During the first semester, the average student lost three pounds per week. At this rate, students can lose a significant amount of weight within a semester and gain lifelong skills to live a healthy lifestyle.
“It was so convenient to add the AOS program to my regular class schedule and the teachers and other students kept me motivated to exercise regularly and eat right,” said Rod Rezvani, a student who joined the program last semester and has lost nearly 150 lbs. “Our class got really close, like a big family. It helped that we were all working toward the same goal – to get healthy.”
The AOS weight loss program focuses on three main components, including a low-fat diet, a minimum of 10,000 steps per day, and lifestyle change through cognitive-behavioral therapy. Students work with Behavioral Coaches and therapists to learn about self-monitoring what they eat and exercise habits. Cognitive behavioral therapy helps students change their habits, improve stress management, and manage frustration.
The AOS weight loss program focuses on changing behaviors to lead a healthier lifestyle and students can continue their education while losing weight and getting in shape. While students maintain their coursework at Reedley College, they also receive education in nutrition, culinary arts, fitness and lifestyle change as part of the program at AOS. A local gym membership is included in the standard enrollment fee.
With boarding schools in California and North Carolina, the AOS weight loss program has among the best documented outcomes of any non-surgical weight loss intervention for any age group.
Academy of the Sierras California (Reedley, Calif.)
The only year-round boarding school for weight loss in the world and the flagship Academy of the Sierras program, AOS California has transformed hundreds of lives since opening in September 2004. It is located on the edge of the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, about 30 minutes southeast of Fresno on a beautiful 68-acre campus.
About Academy of the Sierras
Academy of the Sierras is a residential school of Healthy Living Academies. Healthy Living Academies is the leading organization of treatment programs for pediatric and adolescent obesity. Healthy Living Academies programs include boarding schools: Academy of the Sierras California and Academy of the Sierras North Carolina; summer camps: Wellspring New York, Wellspring Adventure Camp in North Carolina, Wellspring Texas, Wellspring Hawaii, Wellspring Wisconsin, Wellspring Family Camp at Pinehurst, Wellspring Australia, and Wellspring UK; and after school programs: Wellspring Community Programs. Healthy Living Academies is a division of CRC Health.
The Sierras Weight-Loss Solution for Teens and Kids was written by the founders and program leaders of AOS. The book offers parents a 12-week proven program based on the school’s curriculum focusing on healthy eating and making exercise a priority.
To learn more about Academy of the Sierras, Wellspring Camps or Healthy Living Academies, visit www.healthylivingacademies.com or call 866-364-0808.
