References
Following are comments received from families after participants returned home.
Full references are available upon request.
My 15 year old son Henry weighed 21.5 stone and was such an unhappy person. I was terrified that if I did not act now he would get to the point of no return physically, emotionally and medically. I heard about Wellspring through media coverage, contacted them and was delighted to find that they had a camp in the UK. I was full of trepidation when I discussed it with Henry but actually, he was really enthusiastic about it, although nervous, and we jointly agreed that he should go for 6 weeks. He lost 42 lbs during his time there and we have never looked back. The transformation of Henry from being incredibly sad and introverted to the Henry I know and love was nothing short of miraculous. He now smiles and laughs and is a much happier, confident and active person. The family workshop was hugely beneficial as it was a chance for worried parents who want to stop doing the wrong thing. Wellspring gave us the tools to find out how to contribute in a constructive and proactive way in order to start enabling our children to empower themselves and does not foster a blame culture but instead, made us (parents and child) look to the future with hope, belief and motivation. All the staff at Wellspring are dedicated professionals who were always warm, friendly and courteous. I know that Henry has many more miles to go, figuratively and literally, however, all I can say is look how far he has come! Since our return, Henry as often said that attending Wellspring was the best decision we ever made! Thank you Wellspring.
Nicky Routh, Aldershot, Hampshire
Wellspring has wonderfully transformed my child's life. Wellspring’s kind, sympathethic and supportive approach to weight loss was a breath of fresh air. Having had years of cold advice from health professionals in the UK saying - "Just eat less" - it was a relief to meet Health Professionals who recognised that some individuals are prone to weight gain far more than others. My daughter made many new friends, whilst eating delicious food and undertaking regular exercise and lost lots of weight. When she went away to camp, relatives said - "She may put all the weight back on when she gets home!" however since returning home we have kept to the recommended Programme and she has lost a further 16lb. I'm so pleased that my daughter attended Wellspring.
H. Williams, London
I cannot recommend the Wellspring programme, and all the staff at the Wellspring camp, highly enough. Yvonne was reluctant to go to the camp but had the time of her life. As you know she went initially for four weeks but begged to stay on for a further two. During her stay at camp she lost 22lbs and she has lost a further stone since then. Her attitude to food and exercise is now totally different. She joined the basketball and netball teams and is much more active. I don't think I would have understood what Yvonne was trying to do (for example why she can still eat sweets and crisps!),if I had not gone to the parents weekend . By watching the content of our weekly shop and trying to encourage her, I have lost 2 st myself. We also bought a dog to encourage everyone in the family to increase their steps. We have never had a dog before and we're loving it, so Yvonne's visit to Wellspring has had triggered some real changes for us all. I know that Yvonne will keep in touch with friends that she made at the camp and she will always have great memories of last summer. Thanks to you and all the team. You must be very proud of what you achieve with these young people.
Sheila Shepherd, Aberdeen
My daughter went to Wellspring last summer and having struggled with her weight for 7 years. Up to then she had been completely locked into the mentality of being overweight and unable to do anything about it having tried many different diets and all of them failed. She fell on the chance to go to Wellspring and it worked in so many ways for her she lost weight, gained self respect, learned she could do so many activities and has now become an outgoing confident bubbly person who is loving life. For me as her mother it is an absolute joy to no longer be the food police and to sit down with the family and actually enjoy food together.
Clarissa Pratt, Chilbolton, Stockbridge, Hampshire
Alexander has always liked his food. He doesn’t have siblings his own age to be energetic with, and his weight had crept up and up until at aged 16 he was 21 ½ stone, at which point we panicked. I found Wellspring on the internet and was sent a brochure, and although Alexander was a bit sceptical having seen the DVD included with the brochure, he agreed to attend the camp during the summer holidays. In the six weeks he was there he lost 35 lbs and went down 3 trouser sizes. He learnt the theory behind weight-loss, he became interested in cooking for himself, and he acquired a certain amount of self discipline. The best thing he achieved was confidence that it was possible to lose weight. His delight at his new appearance gave him motivation to continue the low-fat regime at home, and he has now lost 4 stone. He regularly plays squash, can buy fashionable clothes, and is continuing to lose weight.
Anne Bond, Corfe Castle, Dorset
Last year, our son George was going nowhere, his activity levels were non existent and he spent the days just watching television and playing computer games. He was becoming depressed, irritable and his self esteem was rock bottom. We had tried everything but it was an absolute battle to get him to get up and moving or have any enthusiasm for anything at all! So in desperation my husband and I scanned the internet for health camps or anything that might be of help and thank goodness we came across Wellspring UK
Although George knew he had to do something, he was full of trepidation and as we waved goodbye to a very miserable, but hopeful, boy we had tears in our eyes. The four weeks went by quite quickly and one of us went up to the Lakes for the family workshop which was invaluable. It was a very humbling experience watching the kids working so hard together and achieving so much. I had nothing but admiration for them and for the dedicated Wellspring Team. The camaraderie was very touching. Seeing George up at camp as well was amazing - a different boy greeted me. He was standing proud, tall and with a big ‘Georgie’ smile on his face (the one we thought he had lost forever!!)
George is now back home and back at school and what a difference. No more grumpiness, he is full of energy and is back to sports full time. He is now more accepted amongst his peers and is included in social outings. Just recently he was selected to play fly half for the U15’s at London Irish - no mean achievement.
We are so very grateful to Wellspring for helping George to find the path to health and fitness again and we would have no hesitation in recommending your program.
Andrew Quaile, FRCS and Deborah Quaile, RGN, Ewshot Nr Farham, Surrey
When we arrived in Penrith to drop Lisa off, we were immediately swept up in the good humour, enthusiasm and obvious warmth of everyone we met, and I left feeling sure that, if Lisa had any problems at all, she would be better than well looked after. And so it turned out. I couldn’t wait to hear from Lisa and every time I did she was even more enthusiastic than the last. When the time came to go to collect her, I found Lisa radiant, obviously fit, healthy and unrecognisable as the rather shy girl I had left behind. I was introduced to everyone, and invited to stay to lunch, which was positively sumptuous. Leaving was a terrible wrench for her. She found the sports programme amazing, and told tales of camping, abseiling, canoeing, hiking, and the great thrill of reaching the summit of Skiddaw, the fourth highest mountain in England. There were so many activities she was still remembering another one after a month back home!
She is still enthusiastically teaching me what she learnt at Wellspring. We are still at the stage of having to do lots of sums when preparing meals, but will no doubt get used to it soon. I have already lost a kilo under Lisa's direction, and she is getting me used to the idea of doing lots more exercise.
I just wanted to write to thank you all for your effort and enthusiasm. Lisa had what she describes as the best time of her life. In fact, when we were half way home she was begging to come back. She misses you all terribly, and is plotting a reunion - be warned!
I wanted particularly to thank you for the stunning improvement in Lisa not just physically, but in her self-esteem and confidence. I have never seen her so physically fit and so keen to exercise (she is jogging three miles a day, and cycling and swimming....); she is in terrific shape and determined to remain so. But the most striking difference is in her personal confidence. She is so much livelier and incredibly outgoing, no longer shy and retiring. Whatever it is you guys are doing, and I assume it is a combination of techniques, you can certainly count my daughter among your most resounding successes. So thanks to all of you, administrators, instructors and fellow students. Lisa thinks of you all as really good friends, and I am deeply grateful to you for everything you have done for her. I find it hard to put into words how warmly I would recommend the Wellspring programme. Only time will tell, but I feel (and Lisa agrees) that it was a life changing experience – and very definitely for the better.
Eileen Hall, Tervuren, Belgium
I would like to thank you and your team for the wonderful help and support you gave Henry during his 6 weeks at Wellspring this summer. Thank you for giving my Henry back to me – I have a lump in my throat as I write this as, every morning I wake up with joy as we plan our day, counting, walking, talking and embracing the change in the way of life as we now know it. The confidence, happiness and hope in the future which I see in his face is priceless. He has been logging on daily since he left and, because I have been self monitoring, he has kept it up too. He is completely hooked on climbing now and I have made an appointment for him to be assessed at a local climbing range so that he can continue to do so, we are going up to the rugby club this weekend so that he can speak to them about joining and he also expressed an interest in joining the hockey team. He is out walking every day and he has placed the incentive on himself that he cannot even turn on the computer until he has done 10,000 steps! The miracle of Wellspring is not that it is a fad or a wonder diet, but that in teaching the students to recognise and understand why, they can then do the how. Self empowerment is the aim; you have just given them, and us, the tools. The family workshop helped me understand how, even though I was doing lots of right things with Henry, the wrong things negated the right and that we, as parents, can share our hopes, fears, frustrations and expectations with each other and gaining support when you feel so alone. The ethos of Wellspring should be embedded in government policy – they then might stopbuilding on school playing fields!
Kindest regards to you and the team.
Nicky Routh, Aldershot, Hants
The Wellspring UK camp certainly has made a big change to Camilla’s life. After just some few days she realized the importance of nearly eliminating fat in her food intake AND being active would enable her to reduce weight. The first week, she lost 8 lbs. Fantastic! During the 4 weeks at Wellspring she had a great time, she got many new friends, friends who she even has visited after the camp. Always enough food, never hungry, plenty of steps and WHAT a result: Camilla lost 26 lbs during the camp – a great start of a new lifestyle. Coming back to Norway, Camilla have bravely managed to continue her awareness of what she eats as well as the need for 10,000 steps per day, which has resulted in a further weight reduction for Camilla. She is happier and healthier now thanks to what she learned at Wellspring UK last summer.
Lars Berg, Oslo, Norway
I thought I would write a few lines about how sending Abbey to Wellspring UK changed her life and probably made it longer. Losing nearly 3 stones in eight weeks gave Abbey the boost of confidence and an attitude in which she started to believe in herself.
In educating Abbey in terms of healthy eating and exercise, she has come home a new and healthier young lady; she no longer sits in her room and eats bar after bar of chocolate or sneaks out to the sweet shop. She now walks to school and goes to the gym which I never thought I would see. Thank youto everyone at the camp. You were all great; she made some great friends and I know she misses everyone. The changes have affected our whole family and we are all a little bit lighter. Thank you all again.
Jayne Potter, Whittle Bay, Tyne and Wear
Thank you very much for everything you have done for John this summer, it wasn't only the weight loss; it was the whole experience that changed his life and ours. You -all of you- had a great influence on him, showed him that everything is possible if you have the right training and the people to support you. It was a experience of a lifetime for John. He has grown and matured, he is less angry and he doesn’t get that easily upset, maybe because he has more self confidence and self esteem. You did an excellent job, you gave him a new image, a new self, and our family life has changed for the better too, since it was one of our major worries and a constant reason to fight with John.
All this past month he has been trying hard to keep up with his diet and self monitoring, he hasn’t put any weight – he claims he had lost 4 pounds – I will be happy if he manages to keep his weight. He is definitely aware of what he eats and of the amount of fat he consumes and knows how to balance his food- all thanks to you and the training he had. He is more active, walking and playing sports and he finally understood the value of keeping his self fit.
You made an excellent job, you gave him a new image, a new self, and our family life has changed for the better too, since it was one of our major worries and a constant reason to fight with John.
Also, the training I had at the family workshop was excellent, it helped me understand a lot about the mistakes I made with John and how to really help him with his diet, cook the right things for him and be there to support him. All of my doubts and fears are gone, sending him to your programme was the best decision I ever made and I really want to thank you for helping him and being there for him.
I can never thank you enough for everything you done for him and our family! I just wish you – all of you- all the best and keep on doing this great job with the same enthusiasm and the same sense of duty. Thank you very much.
Katherina Kahagia, Thessaloniki, Greece
Kristi and myself do not forget Wellspring for even a single day. Since we got to know the programme it became a part of our life and actually for the whole family. We feel so lucky that we got to know Wellspring from the Internet and sent Kristi to the camp. Me and my husband feel that sending Kristi to the camp was the best investment we could have made for our daughter's future.
As you know Kristi had been trying to lose weight since she was 9 years old. We had tried many diets but no one seemed to work for her. We were very worried and thought she could never succeed in losing substantial weight and feeling normal. At the age of 16 she had become overweight, depressed, did not want to go out with friends or shopping for clothes.
At first we were skeptical of sending her and once there, the beginning was difficult for all of us. But after attending Wellspring for 6 weeks she managed to lose substantial weight for the first time and not only that. She had a great time and made new friends. She became happier; she is more outgoing and likes herself. She now has a more positive attitude towards life and appreciates herself and others. Kristi has now become the person she wanted to be and we enjoy seeing her!
Our experience with Wellspring camp is something which we truly recommend other families to follow. We thank you and the rest of the team for the great work you have done for our Kristi.
Athena Achilleos, Nicosia, Cyprus
Your program helped my daughter to find herself again. After years of attempting to lose weight unsuccessfully she has fought back with a positive attitude and found the strength and determination I knew she held inside her. To stand by and watch helplessly as your child is literally eating themselves to death is a difficult thing for a parent to do. No matter how many times I would encourage Nazia to lose weight or go on diets with her she would eventually give up and push away those she was closest to. I found it difficult to understand what she was going through and finally came to the realisation that I couldn't help her, no matter how badly I wanted to. When she suggested your program to me, I could see this time something was different. She was more determined than ever to battle her weight and conquer it once and for all.
So far, the change is incredible. She is happier than she's ever been. She's opening up more and letting out the girl who was hidden away behind her weight for almost ten years. Her attitude remains positive.
I am grateful the program exists for children to change their lives and learn to help themselves succeed.
Tanvir Choudhry, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands
As a parent you do everything you can for your children. You want them to achieve the things you didn't and you try to protect them from the hurt you know. Obesity for Paul was a slow and insidious destructor that slowly took my son away from me.
When I picked him up after the programme, we stood in the pouring rain saying to each other - "look at you, never mind me look at you - you look fantastic.” I was amazed at how well Paul looked and how changed he has became, it was nice to see his eyes again, all the weight and depression had changed his face and persona.
To say thank you seems so minimalist to how grateful I feel to you all, you have brought my son back from the wrong road. Yougave Paul back his life, his self esteem and most of all belief in himself. Since the programme, Paul has been a successful weight controller, but most of all, he now likes himself.
I am so, so proud of him. And I will always be grateful to you. You gave me back my son.
My love to you all.
Sarah Maloney - Colchester, Essex
Thank you all for the help and encouragement given to Jorjie during her stay with you. Our daughter looks fantastic!!!! She has had the most enjoyable eight weeks ever. An experience of a lifetime!! This experience has changed her life and hopefully mine. Jorjie has gained so much information: the knowledge, understanding, portion control, the importance of exercise all of which she passes on to us. As we are a very close family we will not let Jorjie slip back into bad habits now that we are clear on what to do.
When Jorjie returned from the programme, she prepared everything. Food, drink, exercise plan. She took all her food and drink with her for the week. How good is that? Jorjie is a confident, self-motivated, strong-minded young lady and we are so pleased to have her home.
Once again, thank you.
Mrs Jaynne Bissell - Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands
I wanted to let you know that Amanda arrived back safely. She had a wonderful experience and sounds as if she has made 50 new friends! She looks great and she feels better about herself. She and her father are off on run as I write this. Can't believe it's the same girl who left us in July!
Thank you once again for giving Amanda her confidence back in herself. It made me laugh last night to hear her, because of course we have tried to tell her the same sorts of things.
Sometimes teenagers need to hear it from someone else besides their parents and your team have done a brilliant job.
Holly Kal-Weiss, London, UK
I used to be a frustrated mother of an unhappy child and now I am a content mother of a very happy child.
My son George has been struggling with his weight all his life. We have been through all kind of diets and programs. We have visited all kind of doctors and the result was he put on more and more weight. He reached 16 and his blood tests were that of a 60 year old. We had to do something drastic.
Looking through the Internet we found your fantastic programme. I say it is fantastic because it made a big difference in our life. It saved George’s health and our mental health too. We had to make the fast decision to send George there although it was far from home. We took the courage and did it.
He returned a very different person. He not only looked marvelous but he was more mature and happy than ever before. Your programme gives kids the courage and motive to work very hard to lose weight. You teach them a new kind of life. You teach them to find happiness in living a healthy and meaningful life. You teach them that you can lose weight eating very tasty food. (George many times mentions that he misses the food.) You teach them to keep on moving. Walking, running, sports, dancing and laughing is the best medicine for a healthy life. As soon as George got back home he bought a bike and is biking everyday. He joined the gym and is building a healthy body.
Your programme is doing a great job to make our children happy and healthy. One kid after another is losing pounds. Altogether they must have lost hundreds of pounds.
George would like to return, but there are no more pounds to lose. He is just perfect now and we as a family are so grateful.
Alex Andritsopoulos - Athens, Greece
Following are comments received from participants after returning home.
Full references are available upon request.
I'm Elizabeth Thomas and I attended Wellspring UK. It was a life changing experience – one I will never forget.
Wellspring made me a whole new person, not just in appearance but in my personality and confidence. The experience was amazing. Everything from getting to know everyone and achieving weight loss as a team. It was different because when I tried losing weight before, I found it hard because there wasn't enough support, but when we were at camp, we were all in the same boat, achieving out goal together.
At Wellspring, I didn't actually feel like I was losing weight because the activities were so much fun. The view from the mountains are just like what you see in postcards but now I can actually tell people that I’ve been there. On top of everything, I will never forget the friendships and will cherish them forever, including the counselors and behavioural coaches.
Wellsprings was the most memorable, loving, enjoying, unique experience I’ve ever had. I would recommend it to anyone who is trying to lose weight. It's the greatest.
Elizabeth Thomas, Age 15 - London
Even though I have always been overweight when I was younger, I was very active and so I gained weight at a slow rate. The last 3-5 years my activity levels decreased to almost nothing. The fact is that I did not want to go be at the gym, as I felt uncomfortable because of my weight. I did not want to play sports either. They were no longer fun because I could not run around without being out of breath. In fact, I could not walk up a flight of stairs without being completely out of breath. My weight had finally arrived at the point where it was detrimental to my fitness and more importantly to my health. It also affected my emotional being.
In the months before deciding to come to camp, I felt down because I did not like the way I looked and how it was difficult to find clothes to fit. I did not want to go out with my friends because I was so self-conscious. I also felt down in recent months because I had tried and failed at Weight Watchers 3 times. This was a repetition of the past, which consists of attempts at one diet after another.
At some point in the last 6 months, I realized I did not like whom I had become, how I was feeling so I decided to do something about it. The decision to come here was probably one of the easiest I have ever made.
While at Wellspring I remembered how much I like sports. I would be dragging people out to play football, tennis, and others activities. I have also discovered a great deal about myself and gained in self-confidence and self-esteem. I have acquired habits such as self-monitoring and getting up in the morning to exercise. I know I can continue with the program at home. I am lucky in that my family will support me. I feel confident for the first time about continuing my weight loss and becoming a long-term weight controller.
Clare Politzer - Edgware, Middlesex
Before I came to Wellspring I had gone into a shell and was afraid of meeting others, because of what they might think of my appearance. But when I came to Wellspring I found a welcoming and friendly environment; thetypethat I had never experienced before.
Now that I'm back home I look better, I feel better, I'm more outgoing and I have more confidence than I everthought I could have.
Adam Bloch, age 15 - Belfast
