Diet

School Library Journal

Gr 5-8-- In a scattershot look at a variety of topics related to diet and health, double-page spreads are devoted to 14 subjects such as proteins, fiber, fats, additives, food hygiene, eating disorders, and stomach upsets. Informative captions under bright, full-color photographs on every page extend and enliven the text. A few negative points include grammar faults, some unsupported generalizations (``most of us eat too much food''), and chauvinistic wording related to eating outside the U. S. An unusual ``truth in illustration'' disclaimer under the photograph about bulimia nervosa states parenthetically that the picture is staged. An unfortunate omission is the formal treatment of the four food groups as the basic framework for a balanced diet. The illustrations on vitamin sources are colorful and helpful, but lack backup lists or similar references in the text. No clear distinction is made between bacteria and toxin and why heat kills one and not the other, and the mention of irradiation as a preservation technique is incomplete. While the illustrations are attractive and the information is generally helpful for report writing, there is a lack of focus to the presentation. --Lois McCulley, Wichita Falls High Sch . , TX