Weight Loss Camps For Kids
GUPTA: It's time to get going in the fight against childhood obesity. Lots of kids headed to camp this summer. And for some, weight loss, not making new friends, was the goal. Elizabeth Cohen headed to one such camp and found out fighting fat is only half the battle.</s>ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): She's not crazy about exercising this early, but Shawna will do anything to lose weight because she's scared. Scared of getting diabetes, scared that since she's been heavy all of her 14 years, she'll be heavy the rest of her life, and scared that the teasing will never end.</s>SHAWNA RUBBECK, TRYING TO LOSE WEIGHT: People would call me cupcake as a joke. And I would just sort of laugh about it because, you know, I knew I couldn't do anything about it.</s>COHEN: When Shawna reached 250 pounds, she realized she needed help.</s>RUBBECK: I went online. And I was looking up weight loss camps for kids, summer weight loss camps.</s>COHEN: She found them, plenty of them. But the price tag, around $4,000 a month, was way more than her family could afford. Then her mother heard about a scholarship program, 22 kids competing for just eight spaces.</s>RUBBECK: She told me that I had been one of the first chosen and I was - had gotten the scholarship. And I was almost in tears. Too bad I'm leaving some day.</s>COHEN: Will she be able to meet her goal of losing 40 pounds? This one month may be her best shot ever. Unlike Shawna, Nathan Ruffin was thin throughout childhood. In fact, he started out life a two pound preemie. Then in sixth grade, bullies started to tease him mercilessly.</s>NATHAN RUFFIN, TRYING TO LOSE WEIGHT: To be in a crossing and someone's talking about you, you feel like you're kind of an outcast. And no one really likes you or knows you basically.</s>COHEN: On one particularly bad day, Nathan found a new refuge.</s>RUFFIN: And I ate two packs of noodles, hot dogs, and chips and dinner. So it was a lot to eat that day.</s>COHEN: Why do you think you ate so much?</s>RUFFIN: I was really stressed out maybe.</s>COHEN: Nathan gained 70 pounds in two years. Now 13, he weighs 200 pounds. Like Shawna, he started going to the gym, but it wasn't enough.</s>RUFFIN: Definitely starting to hurt.</s>COHEN: His mother heard about weight loss camp, but since she supports five children on her own, she couldn't afford it. Then Nathan heard about the scholarship program.</s>RUFFIN: I was like speechless. I didn't talk.</s>COHEN: A lot is riding on these next four weeks. Not just the 30 pounds Nathan intends to lose, but his pride in making his mom happy. Elizabeth Cohen, CNN.</s>GUPTA: Wow, Elizabeth, thanks. Tune in next week. Shawna is struggling with her confidence. And Nathan pleads to leave camp. More HOUSE CALL coming up after the break.