CHAWK BOOK REVIEW

In his fourth book on the inherent relationship between nutrition and disease, Dr. Joel Fuhrman compellingly argues that children's diets are directly - and quite dramatically - linked to both their immediate and longer-term health. Moreover, he contends that many common childhood illnesses could better be treated by dietary modifications than by antibiotics or more traditional medical interventions. Concluding with practical recommendations on how to adopt and maintain a healthier diet, Fuhrman provides more than 50 recipes that should appeal to the whole family.

Fuhrman's fundamental argument is based on numerous studies linking diet and health; the statistics he cites have become depressingly familiar. He argues that the average American child consumes too much refined and processed food, too many useless calories, too few fruits and vegetables, too much animal fat (particularly from dairy products), too little plant protein, and too much trans fat.

While Fuhrman's collection of data breaks no new ground - especially to anyone who regularly follows the science and health reporting in the Washington Post or the New York Times - it effectively turns peer-reviewed medical research into an easily-understood, coherent argument for the lay reader.

And that argument is sobering. Fuhrman persuasively contends that today's average diet has an immediate impact on your child's health and well-being. According to Fuhrman, poor nutrition can cause, contribute to, or increase the severity of common school-age problems such as allergies, ear infections, and colds and flu viruses. Fuhrman also links poor childhood nutrition to more chronic conditions like asthma and diabetes. Moreover, he contends that many adult illnesses such as breast cancer, prostate cancer, and cardiovascular disease often have their roots in the eating habits we develop during childhood.

Where Fuhrman may lose some more-traditionally-minded readers is when he presents his case for treating various common illnesses via a "program of nutritional excellence" that:

• Is built upon a foundation of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, and nuts;
• Is relatively low in dairy products, eggs, poultry, and fish;
• includes red meat only in small amounts ("as flavoring"); and
• limits processed sweets and white flour to "outside the home" consumption.

Fuhrman argues - based on his 13 years as a board-certified family physician in a self-described "nutritionally oriented family practice" - that such a diet can help many young children recover from asthma, allergies, ADHD, ear infections, eczema and other common skin diseases, and various viral infections without resorting to other medications.

In fact, one of Fuhrman's key contentions is that many of the most common medications used to treat these conditions can do more harm than good. Like many physicians, he is particularly concerned about the overuse of antibiotics, and he contends that many of the viral symptoms for which parents seek an antibiotic-based treatment for their children should either be left alone ("fever, mucous production, and cough are the body's defenses to get rid of the virus") or treated with rest, liquids, and diet.

Fuhrman does not, however, suggest that diet alone is the answer. While including a nutritional plan for addressing ADHD, he notes that diet must be combined with "classroom and behavior modification for rewarding positive behavior." Similarly, he acknowledges that treating allergies, and asthma must include both adjustments in diet and attention to environmental triggers (e.g., pollution, pollen, animal hair). But he nonetheless insists that better nutrition provides the essential foundation for the successful treatment of these diseases.

In considering adult-onset illnesses such as breast cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, and heart disease, Fuhrman points to studies demonstrating that childhood diet has a significant influence over long-term health and wellness. In his view, this is partly a function of early causation and partly due to fact that poor eating habits picked up in childhood translate into poor diet and nutrition in adulthood.

So what to do? The book concludes with two chapters on adopting and maintaining Fuhrman's vision of nutritional excellence. Recognizing that this may not be easy for many families, Fuhrman is realistic in addressing the potential obstacles to making such a transition successfully. He includes tips for helping children overcome both peer pressure and their own prejudices about healthy food, and he reminds parents that such an endeavor requires the commitment of all members of the family (i.e., "if the parents are not willing to follow the rules set for the house, they should not be imposed on the children").

Finally, Fuhrman provides more than 50 recipes ranging from carrot cream soup and red-hot hummus to sushi and banana nut cookies. He includes both a 10-day suggested starter menu and some practical suggestions for packing healthy school lunches. The latter - designed to avoid having your child's lunch look different from the other kids - includes cold soups, whole wheat pita pockets stuffed with hummus, veggie burgers, and leftovers from the previous night's dinner, with homemade puddings for dessert.

Fuhrman's arguments are persuasive, though I didn't find them completely convincing. Although he sometimes acknowledges other factors (e.g., genetics, the environment) that can contribute to health problems, he is so committed to the fundamental importance of nutrition that one wonders how open he is to evidence about other potential causes of disease. And while his focus on using nutrition to treat illness will appeal to many readers who distrust the modern medical establishment, others may see this as reason not to trust Fuhrman and thus discount his more mainstream arguments about the need to improve our children's diets.

I recommend that parents interested in buying the book first spend some time on his extensive website (www.drfuhrman.com). If you find Fuhrman's approach to health and nutrition compelling, then you can safely add Disease-Proof Your Child to your bookcase; the only question is whether to shelve it under "child-rearing" or treat it as a cookbook.

--Reviewed by Keith A. Eddins