Rating: 
Summary: Every parent must read
Review: As a physician I recommend this book to the parents of all my pediatric patients. I have found this the easiest way to get kids to learn the right things about food and nutrition. The weight guidelines are determined by the medical establishment, not Dr. Pescatore. Also Dr. Pesc recommends that children try to limit fruit not cut it out from their diets altogether. Each child is an individual and I adapt the diet accordingly. I was so happy to find this book in print because I have found it to be indispensible to my practice. With the rise in childhood obesity and behavioral problems it was time that someone put together a program that was both fun and easy to follow. This book is a must read for anyone with children, obese or not.
Rating:
Summary: WARNING: This May Change Your Life !!!
Review: Being overweight as a child and most of my adult life, I have tried practically every diet imaginable. Fifteen months ago a friend of mine started a diet called the Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution. He tried to get me start it with him, you know, emotional support. The diet said that you could eat all the red meat and fat you wanted, as long as you stay away from carbohydrates. I laughed at him and said that I would have to scrape his arteries with a butter knife when he died, which surely had to be pretty soon. Because everyone knows you're supposed to eat low-fat food, because that's what we have been told our entire life. Well about five weeks later he had lost approximately thirty pounds, he had more color in his skin than I had ever seen, and he had an obvious more amount of energy, so I asked him to loan me the book. It has been just over 13 months since I started the Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution and I have lost a total of 118 pounds so far, about 25 pounds from my goal weight. I have never ate so good in my entire life, I have also never felt better. It has been so life changing that it just upset me that nobody ever told me about this when I was young. Dr. Prescote, who was overweight and asthmatic as a child explains in plain English why one-third of North American children and teenagers are overweight. He is the Associate Medical Director of the Atkins Center for Complementary Medicine. Using the low-carbohydrate principles of Dr Atkins, Dr Prescatore explains how a low-fat diet is actually very unhealthy for children and that the real culprit is not fat, but sugars and starches. Being overweight is far more than just a cosmetic problem, although it's sometimes treated that way. It can be the reason for a plethora of health related issues. Only now are we starting to realize that the damage we do to our bodies when we are young does take its toll when we get older. Furthermore, because obesity is affecting a younger and younger segment of our population, diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, sleep apnea, orthopedic abnormalities and many others once confined to adults are now becoming increasingly prevalent in our youth. Some very frightening statistics from the book are that by the age of six, nearly 40 percent of American girls have expressed a desire to be thinner. By the age of nine, nearly 50 percent have dieted once and, by the age of sixteen, 45 percent will have put themselves on some kind of crash diet. Even more disturbing is the fact that 15 percent take "diet pills" on a regular basis. There is no testing of these drugs done on children; they are tested on adults then the information is altered in a way so the doctor knows the dose for a child. There have been countless stories on the news and in print about children who have taken their lives or become addicted to drugs in their quest for thinness. I think it is wrong to instill in our children that there is a miracle cure or magic pill to cure everything. Instead, we must instill a sense of responsibility for one's actions, even when it comes down to making the right decisions on what to eat. I just had to copy this- its great!! "Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old he will not depart from it." --Proverbs XXII, 6 Consider these facts, compiled by the National Research Council:  41 percent of obese seven-year-olds become obese adults.  70 percent of obese ten-year-olds become obese adults.  More than 80 percent of obese adolescents remain obese adults. Children don't have to be overweight. They can be taught early in life the proper way to eat. But until and unless parents understand that the roots of their child's eating problems start in childhood, their efforts to make their children lose weight will fail. Parents need to understand the role that proper nutrition plays in raising healthy children, children need to know that making good choices empowers them to do something positive about their weight also. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in raising healthy children. I will be applying these lessons to my own children when the time comes.
Rating:
Summary: Wish I was fed that well
Review: Doesn't include most fruits or vegetables? Unless you believe the only fruit worthy to be served to a child is fruit juice or that the only vegetable fit for a child to eat is a potato, this diet isn't terribly exclusive in terms of vegetables or fruit. Lettuces, berries, broccoli, asparagus, melons, cauliflower, spinach, green beans, pumpkin, are all fair game on this diet. Dr. Pescatore's diet is high in whole grains, unprocessed-preservative laden meats, fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, nuts and healthy oils. He cuts out refined sugar, refined grains, and processed foods. That's pretty darned healthy! As for unrealistic and to hard do for a busy parent, sure it's easier to slap a piece of processed cheese, a couple pieces of nitrated cold cuts between two slices of nutrient deficient white sandwich bread or grab a kiddie meal at a fast food place call it a meal. But is it healthy for your child? Will it teach your child healthy eating habits? Too many people cop out on themselves and their children all in the name of "convenience" and at the risk of their health (then they go and sue fast food restaurant chains for their health problems). Dr. Pescatore's diet is similar to Dr. Atkins'. Furthermore, Dr. Atkins and Atkins Nutritionals never recommended their diet for children and teenagers due to their different nutritional needs. So this book is a must read for people on Atkins who want to introduce their children to a low carb lifestyle safely and effectively.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Advice on Feeding Kids of All Ages but.......
Review: Dr. Pescatore's book opens with an affecting autobiography. He relates how he was grossly overweight as a child and all of the anguish that brought him, especially at school. His solution was drastic: He ate/drank nothing except diet soda for 40 days during one Lenten season! He lost 60 pounds and never looked back. I guess his experiences prompted him to write this book to spare other children from the hell he went through. He does a good job. Basically, he tells parents to drastically reduce the carbohydrates in their and thier cildren's diets. He rightly gives the thumbs down to fruit juices (the equivalent of soda, he says), pasta, refined sugars, processed foods, and too many starchy vegetables like potatoes. He also warns against phony fats like margarine and vegetable shortening. The healthy diet he espouses contains meats, natural fats, non-starchy vegetables, nuts, limited amounts of fruits and grains, eggs, and dairy (if not allergic). Thank God he blames sugars and refined foods for the ills afflicting our young and not natural fats! He also has a good section on how to approach common childhood illneses like asthma, acne, and ADD. Drawbacks? A LOT of his recipes call for using soy protein powder or soy flour--a hotbed of anti-nutrients like phytic acid (which binds to minerals in the digestive tract, preventing their absorption) and protease inhibitors (which hinder digestion). The phytoestrogens in soy can also affect hormonal levels in children so I would not be including in my children's (or my own) meals. Another drawback is basically a contradiction: In the chapter on food sources, he recommends feeding your kids organic meat and dairy foods. Then in the next chapter, he tells parents to remove all the visible fat from meats and chicken skin from any chicken served, not because he thinks fat is bad, but because the fat is where pesticide residues concentrate. This may be true, but if you're buying and serving organic meat, there won't be any pesticide residues in the fat! It sounds like he's trying to be politically-correct about fat which is strange given that he definitely is in favor of MORE healthy fat in a child's diet.
Rating:
Summary: Pretty darned good for an Atkins follower...
Review: I am a nutritionist who beleives in copious amounts of complex carbs from fruit and vegetables in our diet...in balance with proteins and good fat. So, I am not a believer in the Atkins high protein/low carb diet... Dr. Pescatore is a protege of Dr. Atkins, who has moved on from him. His book reflects that progression and is full of really helpful points about the dangers present in the foods our children eat. He includes a personal and poignant perspective about the damage that obesity does to our kid's health and self esteem. He is a powerful advocate for our children. I encourage anyone who reads this to add raw fruits and vegetables in great quantities to their children's diets to make up for all of the bad foods, bad fats, bad additives, low quality meals, and lack of essential fats in their diets. Look at what he has to say about the weakness of fruit juices [vs fruits], no-fat and lowfat milk, hydrogenated fats, and on page 72, about 1-2 teaspons of sugar. As the mother of a 7 year old, I really was glad to find his book. Buy it and read it. Theresa W. Cook
NutritionMadeSimple.net
Rating:
Summary: Unanswered Questions
Review: I recently read this book and was hopeful it would help my son. Mr. Pescatore writes that in the first phase to not feed your child fruits, then gives a sample diet. The first meal contains strawberries. Also, if you follow the guide lines for the amount of weight your child should lose, it doesn't allow any room for bone structure. According to the math my son would have to lose too much weight. I would like to see this part revised in later issues.
Rating:
Summary: WOW! What a difference!
Review: I started on the Atkins diet program in September of 1999. I began loosing weight rapidly, but was frustrated by the fact that my 7 year old son was still gaining weight. I knew he had the same reactions to carbohydrated that I did. I wanted to put him on the program, but refused to do it on my own for fear I would hurt him. After discovering the book How to Feed your Kids Well, I started my son on the program. He lost 17 pounds rapidly, and we have maintained his weight loss for 4 months and still counting. He has the energy of two of his former selves. He rides his bike for hours without complaint, and is anxious to run and play for the first time ever. The best part is that he is no longer teased or called fat. He is happy. I know that this has changed our lives forever. I thank Dr. Pescatore for helping me help my child safely.
Rating:
Summary: WOW! What a difference!
Review: I started on the Atkins diet program in September of 1999. I began loosing weight rapidly, but was frustrated by the fact that my 7 year old son was still gaining weight. I knew he had the same reactions to carbohydrated that I did. I wanted to put him on the program, but refused to do it on my own for fear I would hurt him. After discovering the book How to Feed your Kids Well, I started my son on the program. He lost 17 pounds rapidly, and we have maintained his weight loss for 4 months and still counting. He has the energy of two of his former selves. He rides his bike for hours without complaint, and is anxious to run and play for the first time ever. The best part is that he is no longer teased or called fat. He is happy. I know that this has changed our lives forever. I thank Dr. Pescatore for helping me help my child safely.
Rating: 
Summary: This book is for all parents who want to raise a healthy kid
Review: I want parents to realize that it is possible to raise healthy kids. It may be a struggle at times and feel impossible, but it can happen. Eating habits and nutrition must be taught and these new habits will most successfully stick, if taught as early as possible. Just because your kid may not be overweight now, doesn't mean they shouldn't learn the basics of good nutrition. Think of what will happen to that kid who is used to eating junk food and finally gets to be 25 and that doesn't work anymore. Why should our next generation be straddled with all the food problems we have. Let's give them the knowledge to make the changes now. This book is written for most children to read by themselves. I heartily recommend your kids read this book too, so they become part of the solution, and you don't let them think they are only the problem. Good luck and Happy Eating.
Rating: 
Summary: UNREALISTIC AND UNCLEAR
Review: I was very disappointed with Feed Your Kids Well. This is an Atkins/Low Carbohydrate type diet that excludes most fruits and vegetables. The book is filled with list of "off limit" foods and only 6-7 time consuming recepies. All meals must be made from scratch and everyday children should be eating eggs for breakfas! What if your child does not like eggs? The author is unclear on what children should be eating. His suggestions seem unrealistic (especiall for working parents) and his exclusion of most fruits and vegetables seems more of a "fad diet" than a healty solution to a difficult problem many parents with little time face.
|
