Dietary approaches to the treatment of the overweight pediatric patient

A review of recently published studies on the dieting practices of children and adolescents examines the impact those practices are having on the over all health of youth who are overweight and those who are not. Recommendatio ns for improving the nutritional quality of children's diets are made based on the food consumption patterns of youngsters ages 2 to 18 years. If impl emented, these recommendations would lower calories, fat, saturated fat, an d cholesterol, while improving nutrient density. Guidelines for the treatme nt of childhood overweight from four organizations are presented in chart f orm.