BREVARD, N.C. and REEDLEY, Calif. (January 21, 2008) — Academy of the Sierras (AOS), the world’s first boarding school for overweight children and teens, start a new year at the California and North Carolina campuses today. The two programs remain the only year-round boarding schools for weight loss in the world.

Students come from all over the world to attend Academy of the Sierras and the class of 2008 represents 30 of the 50 states. International students travel from Nepal, Canada, Mexico, Kuwait, Scotland, the United Kingdom, Barbados and Malaysia. Designed for children, teens, and young adults ages 11-24, students on both coasts demonstrate among the best documented outcomes of any non-surgical weight loss intervention for any age group.

This year marks the second full year for the North Carolina school, which opened its doors in February 2007. Enrollment at the East Coast campus has more than doubled for 2008. The NC school is more expedition-based than the California program. During a typical month, three out of four weekends will be spent hiking and experiencing the vast array of nearby national forests.

“We’re very excited to start another year with our students on the East and West Coasts,” said Dr. Daniel Kirschenbaum, Vice President of Clinical Services and professor at Northwestern University Medical School. “AOS has helped hundreds of students safely lose very significant amounts of weight and keep it off at home. We base all elements of our approach on decades of scientific research to help students transform the way they eat, move, and think about their lives. Our educational and cognitive-behavior therapy programs help students master the formidable cultural and biological challenges of long-term weight control.”

Academy of the Sierras California (Reedley, Calif.)
The only year-round boarding school for weight loss in the world and the flagship Academy of the Sierras program, AOS California has transformed hundreds of lives since opening in September 2004. It is located on the edge of the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, about 30 minutes southeast of Fresno on a beautiful 68-acre campus.

Academy of the Sierras North Carolina (Brevard, N.C.)
The second Academy of the Sierras program, AOS North Carolina opened in February 2007. It is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina, close to the town of Brevard, 35 miles southwest of Asheville. Located on 220 acres, the campus is bordered by more than two million acres of public lands that include Pisgah, Nantahala & Cherokee National Forests, Dupont & Gorges State Parks and the Great Smokey Mountains National Park.

About Academy of the Sierras
Academy of the Sierras is a residential school of Healthy Living Academies. Healthy Living Academies is the leading organization of treatment programs for pediatric and adolescent obesity. Healthy Living Academies programs include boarding schools Academy of the Sierras California and Academy of the Sierras North Carolina; summer camps: Wellspring New York, Wellspring Adventure Camp in North Carolina, Wellspring Texas, Wellspring Hawaii, Wellspring Wisconsin, Wellspring Family Camp at Pinehurst, Wellspring Australia, and Wellspring UK; and after school programs, Wellspring Community Programs. Healthy Living Academies is a division of CRC Health.

The Sierras Weight-Loss Solution for Teens and Kids was written by the founders and program leaders of AOS. The book offers parents a 12-week proven program based on the school's curriculum focusing on healthy eating and making exercise a priority.

To learn more about Academy of the Sierras, Wellspring Camps or Healthy Living Academies, visit www.healthylivingacademies.com or call 866-364-0808.

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