Summer Camp: The Best Medicine - with Keith Brazendale - The Camp Owners Podcast #73
Camp & Childhood Obesity: A Conversation with Associate Professor Keith Brazendale
Summer camp isn’t just fun, it may be one of the most effective tools we have to support children’s health. In this episode of The Camp Owners Podcast, Associate Professor Keith Brazendale speaks about compelling research showing how camp environments can help combat childhood obesity. From the power of structured days and unintentional physical activity, to the role camps can play for low income families, this conversation connects research directly to camp operations and advocacy. You’ll also hear bold ideas about partnerships with schools and pediatricians, including what it could look like for doctors to “prescribe” camp. If you care about the impact camps have beyond the summer, this is a must listen.
06:12 The Impact of Summer Camps on Children's Health
08:10 The Structured Days Hypothesis
16:11 The Importance of Summer Camps for Low-Income Families
23:10 Promoting Camps Through Schools
29:36 Impact of Summer on Low Income Families
30:22 Logistical Challenges and Potential Solutions
31:32 The Role of Schools and Scholarships
32:19 Health Outcomes and the Faucet Theory
32:37 Summer School vs. Summer Camp
33:26 Promoting Healthier Children Through Camps
36:46 Unintentional Physical Activity at Camps
38:23 Pediatricians Prescribing Summer Camps
42:07 Pilot Study on Camp Prescriptions
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Your Hosts:
Howie Grossinger - Co-owner/Director - Camp Robin Hood, Partner - Camp Walden & Madawaska Camps
Kelly Schuna - Owner - Hidden Pines Ranch
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Your Guests:
Keith Brazendale - Associate Professor - University of Central Florida, Department of Health Sciences
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Episode Links:
Keith’s Article: Could This Be a Simple Solution to Reducing Childhood Obesity?
Thanks to our sponsors:
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