The American obsession with diets has now spanned many decades.  The list of fads is long and their lifespans variable.  What’s in goes out and when it does, in comes something new and seemingly “faster and easier” than the last.

Given the nature of the average American diet and the shockingly high incidence of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure and nutrition-related illnesses, it seems crystal clear that things are very, very wrong with the eating habits of the homeland.  I’ve tried several of the diets which are currently in vogue, but found each finally unsustainable and, often, unhealthy in the long run.

One of the most successful approaches to not just diet, but “lifestyle,” one that in my experience has withstood the personal test of time, is the Pritikin Program.  Developed by cardiologist Dr. Nathan Pritikin in 1974, the Pritikin Program has proven to be one of the most sustainable and scientifically sound solutions to a healthy lifestyle, for me and more than 70,000 other alumni of the program.

Interesting, you say, but what does that have to do with families?

Lots and lots, it seems, because the list of health problems noted above is no longer the domain of grownups.  One in seven (14%) of children and adolescents in the U.S. is obese. The Center for Disease Control and Prevent now estimates that one in three Americans who were born in the year 2000 will develop Type 2 Diabetes.

My son, Regan, falls into neither of those problem categories.  He’s tall, muscular, lean, and 13—not your typical candidate for a lifestyle makeover.  But our recent Father-Son visit to the Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa proved to be a major life-altering experience for both of us. For parents with health issues or parents of children with health issues, or simply families wanting an immersion course in healthy living, here’s a surprising vacation on the highway to wellness.

In addition to the Father-Son Program, The Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa (19735 Turnberry Way, Aventura, Florida 33180) offers a one or two-week Pritikin Family Program every summer for parents, grandparents or any adults with children ages 9-16 (there is some flexibility) or what the Pritikin staff call “young adults."  For adults it’s the pure (and remarkable) Pritikin experience—lots of exercise, delicious and nutritious meals from the Pritikin menu, highly informative and entertaining lectures, a full medical physical exam and stress test, followed by consultations with the Center’s medical doctors.

Entertaining and Engaging Kids

For young adults, the program is all that (without the stress test) and more, but built around an entertaining and child-friendly format that is something absolutely unique.  For two weeks (you can also opt for just one), the Pritikin Center turns into a summer camp—with tennis lessons, swimming and games in the pool, beach volleyball at the nearby Turnberry Beach Club, “Funky Salsa Hop” dance classes, “Cardio Blast” aerobic workout sessions in the well-equipped, professionally staffed Pritikin spa and health club.

Explains Scott Danberg, Pritikin Director of Spa & Fitness, “Young adults are active by nature, but their time spent on computers and television works against that.  We get them up and moving, but we make the cardio classes fun, and keep the weight and resistance work in the light zone.” He adds, “We don’t want to overload their muscles and bones at this age, but we do want to increase their range of motion and flexibility”

Spotted between the physical blowouts are kid-friendly workshops—the Pritikin message writ specifically for kids/young adults and delivered by the enthusiastic and really smart nutritional and cooking staff.  There are cooking workshops for easy, tasty, healthy snacks, a Nutrition Workshop devoted to “Packing Your Lunch and Eating on the Go,” a Health Workshop teaching “Fun Facts about Fitness.”  For example, children are taught that there are 10 teaspoons of sugar in a can of Coke.

There are field trips to the local Whole Foods Market to polish label-reading skills (a major survival strategy in this world) and shape healthy shopping.  There’s even a trip to a nearby mall’s food court, where kids are given $10 and challenged to return with the healthiest meal possible. These kids have been trained in ordering and eating healthily from restaurant menus, so they usually nail the assignment.  For getaway fun, there are events like bowling, a trip to the nearby water park, an IMAX film.

For each Family Program session, a noted child psychologist joins the staff to work with young adults on personal issues.  Dr. Ruth Peters, NBC’s Today Show expert on child and family psychology, and Dr. Susan Spear, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at Columbia University and New York Presbyterian, have been in residence at different sessions.

Full Days of Sun and Family Fun

Because the outstanding Pritikin staff provides kids a lively, fun and informative experience, it has a huge impact on the kids’ health. Along with parents, they get at least one hour (and usually more) of rigorous exercise daily plus weight work and resistance training. The food offerings are scrumptious (in the Pritikin high-fiber, low-fat, low-salt, low-sugar vein) with the conspicuous absence of liquid sugar intake (i.e. sodas) that many kids are hooked on.  Everyone at Pritikin eats lots of vegetables and most guests even learn to like them.

A typical Family Program day starts early with a solid breakfast of oatmeal, cereals, fruits, toast, egg white omelets and more. Then, kids join a tennis lesson, followed by a Cooking Workshop (parents join in here) or a Nutrition Workshop before lunch.  After a healthy, sit-down lunch, kids can take a Health Workshop, spend two hours at the beach for volleyball or a sand castle contest, then take a field trip to the local grocery for a food shopping lesson. After dinner, there is family swimming under the stars at the resort’s ample outdoor pool, followed on most nights by a movie in the lounge.  For an escape, the vast Aventura Mall is five minutes away, with multiplex movie opportunities and shopping till you drop.

During the Father-Son weeks or in customized family programs at other times of year, the activities are adult-child rather than group-oriented. At our visit, we worked out together each morning in group classes—a combination of aerobic work, stretching/mobility exercises, and weight/resistance training with a personal trainer. Regan loved the workout program and was highly impressed with the quality and intelligence of the lectures, as was I.

To vary the routine, we took a morning lesson with the very same golf pro who teaches Sammy Sosa, followed by a round of golf on Turnberry’s beautiful course. On another day, we organized our own private wake-boarding session at Miami’s Biscayne Bay.  For us, the wake-boarding was a non-seasick alternative to deep sea fishing in the Atlantic, which is the usual and popular Pritikin Center event.

Although not all attending young adults have eating or physical problems, the average Pritikin graduate experiences a healthy weight loss. In a 2005 study done by UCLA and presented at the American Heart Association's national conference, researchers found that Pritikin Family Program graduates ages 9-15 showed a remarkable improvement in several biomarkers linked with heart disease after their two-week stay. According to the Pritikin Institute, total cholesterol fell an average of 21%, LDL (bad) cholesterol was down 25%, triglycerides or blood fat was reduced by 39% and insulin levels fell 30%.

It’s an early start on the march toward health that many of us embrace only later in our lives. With the loss of weight and the net gain in the overall wellness level come parallel gains in self-esteem.  Children and adults feel better in general and feel better about themselves.

Any adult will benefit from it, perhaps in a dramatic way (my experience), and almost all children will come away with an enhanced lifelong grounding in health and nutrition.  And for any kid, with or without acne or baby fat, but definitely for those with eating disorders, obesity or diabetes issues, this can be a very important journey, one well worth the price.

Details, Details

This is a highly recommended family adventure—not typical, but a most important one, and extremely pleasurable at that. The Pritikin Program is housed in a luxurious, tropical resort setting in northern Miami. Part of the stylish Turnberry Isle Resort & Yacht Club (904/288-0036, 19999 West Country Club Drive, Aventura, Florida 33180), the spacious and well-appointed guest rooms are located within a gorgeous marina with palm-lined walks, and you’re only a half-mile shuttle ride (free) from the Turnberry Beach Club facility on the broad, golden sand Atlantic shoreline.

For a child under 16, the Pritikin Family Week costs $1,500 for the first week and $1,000 for the second. Adults pay $4,700 for the first week and $2,492 for the second for a single parent, the first week costs $6,266 for two parents, and $4,540 for the second week. Other discounts are available during the summer months. Pritikin’s rates are all-inclusive (hotel, meals, fitness classes, gym) and include the costs of the full medical exam and stress test, given at both the beginning and end of the program.

It’s one of those family experiences that really is priceless, especially considering the potential cost of medical care you may avoid by joining the Pritikin ranks.

If your schedule precludes attending the summertime Family Program, consider the Father-Son week, when adult granddads, dads and sons, as well as children under 16 are present. At any time though, the Pritikin Center will customize a program that will address your family’s needs because for them, you and your health come first.  For more information, visit their website www.pritikin.com or call 800/327-4914 or 305/ 935-7131.

Ron Bozman is a regular contributor to Family Travel Forum and loves traveling with his son, particularly when their lives are improved by an experience they enjoy sharing.