Camp Pocono Trails

Healthy habits form at summer camp for Oradell resident

The 17-year-old Oradell resident, a junior at River Dell High School, went away to Camp Pocono Trails, a weight loss camp in Reeders, Pa. It was his second year attending the camp, but the first in which Salerno fully committed himself to changing his lifestyle, he said.

"I've been overweight my entire life," he said. "I joined Weight Watchers in fourth grade, I've tried smoothie diets, everything."

Going to a summer camp focused on weight loss was Salerno's parents' idea. Although he went to Camp Pocono Trails in 2009 and lost about 30 pounds, he gained it all back by February.

"When I went to camp the second year, it all clicked for me," he said. "I realized I'm doing this for me and not for anyone else. I started watching what I ate and running regularly. That was the year I decided I'm going to do this. If you don't want to do it for yourself, it's not going to happen."

Salerno described the camp experience as hard work, but "a lot of fun." Campers learn healthy eating habits and work toward fitness goals through participating in sports, swimming laps in the lake, running, lifting weights and other activities.

After weighing 259 two years ago, Salerno lost nearly 50 pounds and weighs 210. He is training to run in the Philadelphia half marathon in November and said he hopes to reach his goal weight of 180 pounds by the end of the summer using the skills he learned. After two years at the camp, Salerno will not be returning because he plans to attend a summer graphic design program at Pratt University.

Pocono Trails is one of two camps owned and operated by New Image Weight Loss Camp.

Tony Sparber, the founder of New Image camp, said Salerno was one of thousands of children he had seen in his 20 years working in the field who made a dramatic lifestyle change.

"Dan is a young man who was always a great kid, but didn't get the hang of it right away," Sparber said. "Then something clicked for him. He like many kids that come here was able to improve himself physically and emotionally."

Sparber said the camp is like any other summer camp, offering urban and suburban kids a chance to play outside and make new friends.

"The camp is a place where the kids are involved in a lot of activities, but the difference here is we put the kids on a very healthy food plan, offer nutrition and cooking classes and self esteem workshops. We get them involved, educate them on healthy habits, and also give them a lot of fun in an upbeat environment." According to Sparber, the average child loses about 5 pounds per week while at the camp. "The concept is to keep kids busy with positive pursuits and send them home with a ton of self confidence. Summer camp is really one of the last pure outposts where kids can discover new things without the distractions of television and the internet.

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