Reedley, CA (PRWEB) November 1, 2007 -

Wellspring Camps, the leading organization of treatment programs for overweight and obese youth, today announced the opening of Wellspring Australia, the first summer weight loss camp in Australia.

Wellspring Australia will serve teens ages 12-18 for 2-week and 4-week courses starting 30 December. Students will benefit from decades of scientific research and the unprecedented weight loss outcomes demonstrated by thousands of young people at Wellspring’s 10 other programmes in America and England.

Wellspring’s California programme was the focus of the seven-part television series “Teen Fit Camp,” which aired last May and June on Network Ten. “Teen Fit Camp” followed the emotional journey of six Australian teens struggling with obesity.

“What allowed the six Australian students profiled in ‘Teen Fit Camp’ to be so successful,” said Dr Daniel S. Kirschenbaum, Wellspring’s clinical director and a professor at Northwestern University Medical School in America, “is that Wellspring addresses the combination of factors that lead to weight gain and interfere with long-term success at weight loss. Through a combination of cognitive-behavioral therapy, nutrition and culinary education, and an incredibly supportive and enjoyable introduction to healthy eating and activity habits, evaluation studies indicate that Wellspring students lose an average of 2 kg. per week while enrolled, and continue to lose weight after returning home.”

According to Wellspring Australia Program Director Todd Duncan, the incredible interest generated by “Teen Fit Camp” convinced Wellspring to launch Wellspring Australia. “After Teen Fit Camp aired, we had a number of Australian families enroll their children in Wellspring’s programme in Hawaii in July and August. Of course, with nearly 1 in 4 Australian children and teens overweight or obese, many more Australian families would benefit from having the world’s leading treatment programme for overweight and obese teens much closer to home.”

Wellspring Australia provides 2-week and 4-week courses over the summer holiday, starting 30 December and 13 January. Like the Wellspring California programme featured on “Teen Fit Camp,” Wellspring Australia is an expedition-based programme. Students participate in adventure-based activities such as surfing, caving, canyoneering, kayaking, canoeing, hiking and camping.

Wellspring Australia is a program of Wellspring Camps. To learn more about Wellspring Camps visit http://www.wellspringcamps.com. Wellspring programs include Academy of the Sierras California, Academy of the Sierras North Carolina, Wellspring New York, Wellspring Adventure Camp, Wellspring Adventure Camp California, Wellspring Texas, Wellspring Hawaii, Wellspring Wisconsin, Wellspring Family Camp, Wellspring UK and Wellspring Community Programs.

Wellspring Camps is part of the Healthy Living Division of CRC Health Group, America’s largest chemical dependency and related behavioral health organization. For more information, visit http://www.crchealth.com.

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