Obesity and low-fat diets in pediatrics

The field of pediatric nutrition continues to advance, with increasing evidence that diets early in life have long-lasting effects on health and disease well into adulthood. Pediatricians and nutritionists have long appreciated the importance of adequate nutrition in infancy for optimal growth and development, but only in recent years has the link between pediatric nutrition and diseases of so-called "adult onset" been realized. Two important topics in the field, obesity and the use of low-fat diets early in life, have been the subject of recent literature, and developments in these areas are summarized. Although the genetic basis for some causes of obesity are becoming clear, reliable assessment and treatment of obese children are still wanting in many cases. The ease with which healthy pediatric diets meet the recommended dietary guidelines for fat intake is also reviewed. Finally, the possibility that changes in federal funding of food assistance programs might have adverse effects on pediatric nutrition is also noted.