The Promise of Immersion Treatment for Obese Children and Adolescents in 2009: A Review

Abstract Obese children have attended weight loss camps and residential programs for more than 40 years. For this review, 22 studies met inclusion criteria (targeted and assessed change in weight status; minimal stay of 10 days and nights). Compared to results in a recent metaanalysis of outpatient treatments, these immersion programs produced an average of 197% greater reductions in percent-overweight at posttreatment and 130% greater reduction at follow-up. Furthermore, mean attrition rates were much lower when compared to standard outpatient treatment. Inclusion of a cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) component seem especially promising; followup evaluations showed decreased percent-overweight at follow-up by an average of 30% for CBT immersion programs versus 9% for programs without CBT. Explanations for the potentially greater impact of immersion relative to outpatient treatments are presented, including possibly differential effects on self-efficacy for both children and their parents.