Summer camp is a time for friends and fun. But at Camp Endeavor, there's a little more purpose to the party. It's a weight management camp, where kids learn about living healthy. This is Danelle Johnson's second time here.

TMJ4's Shelley Walcott asks her, "Would you say weight is something you struggle with?" Danelle responds, "I've struggled with it since I was pretty much born. Pretty much my whole life."

Danelle first came to Camp Endeavor two years ago. She lost 20 pounds in about four weeks. The 17-year-old is back again this year, hoping to lose more weight before her Senior year. For her, the battle is physical and emotional.

"It's hard to have to balance everything everyday, and not only teenage life is hard enough, but then to have to worry about weight and everything else. It's just like a disease almost. I mean it's hard to try and and fight everyday," Danelle explains.

It's a fight Camp Director Dan Dingmann understands. The exercise physiologist founded Camp Endeavor with his wife.

"We don't want our kids to come here and just get fit or just lose weight. We want them to be able to leave here empowered to manage their weight long-term, because it's going to be a long term effort for a lot of them," Dingmann tells us.

Camp Endeavor is the only camp of its kind in the Midwest. Kids go for two or four weeks at a time, and weigh in about once a week.

Camp counselors really try to emphasize that exercise can be fun. One example is a swing-dancing class. The kids also play basketball, volleyball and water sports. They also learn to eat healthy. Emily Dingmann is in charge of the daily menu.

"The kids, a lot of them, have food issues. So we don't have forbidden foods. And as you can see we're eating pizza today, so. We have normal kid foods. We just control the portions," Emily Dingmann says.

Some of the kids told Shelley Walcott several reasons why they came to camp:

"Well, my dad, he has diabetes. And my mom thinks it's really important that I don't get it."

"It's a comfortable feeling to know that you're not the only one who's the oddball out. Like everyone that's here is kind of the oddball out."

Danelle has a realistic approach. "It's not that I want to be a barbie-doll sized person. I just want to be healthy."

A lot of kids come not only to get stronger bodies, but also stronger minds. Dan explains, "Education is a real important component of what we do here. That's why we think of it as a holistic weight management program."

As for Danelle, the camp was a personal success! She lost 9 pounds in 3 weeks, and says she just felt more fit after the experience.

Two weeks at camp cost $1795, and 4 weeks cost $3395. The camp does have 'camperships' available to families who may need some financial help.