Low-carbohydrate diets are hot and we hear frequently how many of our kids are overweight — but one medical expert says never mix the two. Dr. Mae Sokol , director of the Creighton Eating Disorders Clinic at Children’s Hospital in Omaha, says low-carb diets are -not- for children.Dr. Sokol says “It’s a bad idea to put any child on a diet. If a child is overweight, we need to look at how to help them have healthier nutrition and also how to help them exercise more.” While Sokol says -any- diet is a bad idea for a kid, she says low-carb diets are particularly troubling. She says a young person’s body needs carbs to grow, to build muscles and bones and everything else.In addition to getting a child to eat better and to exercise, she says some kids who are overweight may also need psychological counseling. Some compulsively overeat, others are depressed and express it through overeating. Also, it’s upsetting for a kid to be overweight and may need to talk with someone about how to focus on getting over it. For more information, call (402) 955-6190 or surf to “www.eatingdisorders-help.info”.
