July 15, 2005
In his latest book (after "Eat To Live"), physician Fuhrman does not make a terribly radical point: kids need to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables to ward off disease. However, he also alleges that a child's diet before the age of ten may have a dramatic effect on the occurrence of diseases much later in life, such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. In addition, he maintains that "superior nutrition" -a healthy mix of "good" fats; ample fruits, vegetables, and beans; and whole foods -can ameliorate eczema, ADHD, allergies, ear infections, and other ailments. If children's food options are all healthy ones, he assures readers that kids will eat what they need; they will not starve if there are no chicken nuggets. Although Fuhrman is emphatic about fruits and vegetables, he does not go so far as to advocate eschewing all animal products. Rather, he provides the advantages and disadvantages to vegan, vegetarian, and omnivorous diets, explaining how to choose the best foods within each model. He also bucks some of the traditional child nutrition experts, who previously advocated dairy products and carbohydrate-rich diets. Including many suggestions, tips, patient stories, and even some recipes, this nutrition guide is good for public libraries with an extensive consumer health section. -Elaine M. Bergman, SUNY at Albany
Copyright 2005 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.