On Saturday, Feb. 6, participants in the Camp NEW You program will be at Concord University in Athens learning about healthy lifestyle choices.

Parents and children will participate in wintertime physical activities such as indoor swimming, Zumba, exer-gaming and outdoor games.

Camp NEW You, where NEW stands for Nutrition, Exercise and Weight Management, is designed to help youth and parents identify and practice lifestyle changes that assist in reducing unhealthy body weight through increased physical activity and proper nutrition.
Athens represents one weekend in this year-long program, which began in June with a two-week residency camp at West Virginia University in Morgantown.
“The goals of Camp NEW You are to help families engage in regular, moderate to vigorous physical activity in various forms, to replace sedentary hobbies with more active ones and to promote healthy decision-making during meals,” said Dr. Sean Bulger, assistant professor in the WVU College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences.

After attending part of the two-week summer camp with their kids, parents join their children for three more fun-filled weekends throughout the year.

Each follow-up session offers healthy lifestyle coaching and is packed with activities and simple techniques for reaching physical fitness goals.

Because Camp NEW You is a collaboration between the WVU College of Physical Activity and Sports Sciences, the WVU School of Medicine’s CARDIAC Project, and Concord University, campers and their families have access to experts in the fields of exercise physiology, medicine, physical education, nutrition and behavioral medicine.

“Throughout the year a variety of experts participate in program planning, delivery and assessment,” said Dr. Bulger.
“This degree of professional collaboration along with the parent education and involvement components sets our program apart,” he added.

Because the camp targets high risk children, many health insurance providers such as PEIA, Mountain State Blue Cross Blue Shield, Health Plan and WV CHIP have approved most program costs.

To participate, youth must be between 11-14 years old and have a BMI greater than the 85th percentile. A least one parent or guardian must attend with each child.

For more information go to www.campnewyou.org or call 304.293.0859.

-WVU-

02/04/10

CONTACT: Dr. Sean Bulger, College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences
(304) 293-0845, sean.bulger@mail.wvu.edu