Success Story: Brittany, Age 15

BRITTANY B.
Date Enrolled at Wellspring Academy (formerly known as AOS): 9/5/05
Age: 15
Weight: 180
Height: 5'6
Transition Home Date: 1/28/06; Weight: 133
Lost 47 lbs. in 5 months.
Weight After Continued Weight Loss at Home: 121
Total weight loss (BMI-adjusted): 59 lbs.

Brittany is a serious and bright girl who spent her early years in California with her parents and younger brother.  When she was nine, Brittany's world changed when she moved to Arizona and her parents divorced.  She went from a school with many friends to a school where she was brutally teased by other kids.  She became more and more withdrawn, and she moved less and ate more. 

Despite the teasing, and Brittany's realization that she was gaining weight, she did not make many serious efforts to lose weight.  She was ashamed to admit she had a problem with eating and her weight. 

When Brittany's parents began talking to her about AOS, she said, "I didn't want people to know my weight was so out of control that I had to attend a boarding school far from home to cope."  In her enrollment package, Brittany circled that she didn't want to attend, and her parents indicated she was quite angry about the decision.

After a few weeks at AOS, Brittany's attitude changed:  "Where else can I have balanced, low fat meals served to me three times a day, or a full gym a few feet away from my bedroom?."

Brittany utilized her success at AOS as a catalyst for other areas of growth.  Not only is she now an avid bike rider and weight controller, but she's doing better in school and in her social life.  She feels better about her appearance, and she's much more confident and open to talking to people - a far cry from the ashamed, angry and isolated life she led prior to attending AOS.

Here's how Brittany put it:

My dad heard about AOS on the news.  Both he and my mom wanted me to go.  We were all having big problems with what I was going to do school-wise.  I wanted to home school and my parents didn't.  I was very adamant about not coming to AOS.  I didn't want people to know my weight was so out of control that I had to attend a boarding school far from home to cope.  Eventually, I looked at the AOS program a little more and figured this was a good choice to make at this point in my life.  I had no idea how to lose weight in a healthy way and all my other options for schooling were screwed.  Days before I left for AOS, I actually started to become excited about going to AOS.

I really pushed myself to take advantage of the time at AOS.  I also wanted to commit the things I learned at AOS to memory so I could continue with my program when I got home for good.  I think that is very important because I don't want to slip back into my sedentary ways and lose control of my weight again.