With a low-carbohydrate craze sweeping the nation, parents may reasonably wonder whether an Atkins-type diet may be suitable for overweight children.

Carol Koprowski, Ph.D., R.D., assistant professor of clinical preventive medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, says it is a far better idea to teach a child proper eating habits and encourage more exercise.

She cautions, "Severely limiting nutrients such as fat or carbohydrates can interfere with a child 's health."

Too much fat or carbohydrates can cause obesity. But too little fat in the diet can stunt growth, while too few carbohydrates can throw the metabolism out of balance, hamper the body's ability to burn fat efficiently and impair brain development at early ages.

Koprowski says that diets may cause children to become preoccupied with food and can teach them to eat what and when the diet requires instead of eating when hungry. That may predispose some kids to eating disorders.

"The key is to create a healthy home environment. Get kids to enjoy foods such as plain fruit or chopped veggies and avoid relying on fast foods or commercially prepared foods to meet dietary needs. Children model their behavior after adults, so whatever you eat, they'll tend to see as normal," she says.

Koprowski says children should get no more than 30 percent of their calories from fat and should eat diets rich with fruits and vegetables-fruit juices excepted, as they are high in calories and contain little fiber.

Another key factor in keeping a child healthy and trim is to encourage exercise. Koprowski says even children who eat a large amount of food will remain
fit as long as they burn off the excess calories...