To learn more, visit Wellspring Academies
Wellspring Academies are the world’s only year-round boarding schools for fitness and weight loss. Students change their bodies—with an average of over 3 lbs of weight loss per week. And students change their lives—with improved academic performance, mood, social interactions, and self esteem.
WHY WELLSPRING?
Young people who are struggling with their weight are confronted with a variety of challenges to their physical health, mental well-being, and social development.
As the world’s premiere weight-loss facilities for individuals ages 11 to 24, Wellspring’s programs help children, adolescents, and young adults achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Our innovative and effective programs emphasize continued education, enhanced self-esteem, and unwavering support.
WHO WE ARE
Wellspring Academies (formerly known as Academy of the Sierras) established the world’s first year-round therapeutic residential boarding school for young people who are struggling with weight-related issues. Now with two campuses (one in California and one in North Carolina) we have helped hundreds of individuals rebuild their bodies, transform their lives, and take control of their futures.
News organizations including CNN, USA Today, Dateline NBC, The New York Times, and the British Broadcasting Corporation are among the many media outlets that have reported on our successes. A 2005 Dateline feature on four Wellspring students summed up the teens’ progress by noting that “together they lost more than 300 pounds, and together they gained a new way of life.”
WHO WE ARE NOT
Wellspring Academies are not “fat camps,” nor are they boot-camp-like environments that promise high-intensity quick fixes to children’s weight problems. Overweight individuals of all ages may be intrigued by the thought of a “rapid detox” approach to overcoming obesity, but efforts that focus solely on dramatic short-term weight loss almost always result in significant re-gains once the programs have ended.
At Wellspring Academies, we attempt to break this yo-yo cycle of losses and gains by addressing all of the educational, developmental, and emotional issues that contribute to – or have been exacerbated by – an individual’s obesity.
Since our inception, Wellspring Academies have advocated the simple, scientific, and sustainable philosophy that we believe – and our research and results document – is the ideal approach to significant weight loss and lifelong weight maintenance.
HOW WE CAN HELP
Based upon decades of research conducted by leading scientists in the weight-loss field, the Wellspring method focuses on healthy weight loss and long-term maintenance.
The typical Wellspring student loses between 3.5 and 5 lbs each week. For students who complete two semesters, studies show the average weight loss ofmore than 80 lbs. In addition to learning health-promoting habits such as eating nutritious meals and getting regular physical activity, Wellspring students also learn the skills and strategies that are necessary to maintain and improve upon the achievements they have made.
While completing our programs, Wellspring students are also decreasing their risks of contracting the myriad diseases and conditions – such as diabetes, hypertension, cancer, heart disease, and stroke – that have been associated with higher-than-normal body mass index. At the same time, they are learning how to effectively deal with the pressures and stereotypes that our society unfortunately places upon overweight individuals.
Ultimately, the mission of Wellspring Academies is to enhance the lives of overweight youth by improving their health, reducing their weight, and increasing their academic potential. During their stay with us – and as they continue to implement the lessons they have learned here – Wellspring students continually rediscover the innate strengths that will allow them to achieve their greatest potential.
Learn more about Wellspring Academies
