New children's book causes controversy.

• Position: Dieting - 'Maggie Goes on a Diet'

It seems as though a recently published book has been added to the 'Most Controversial" list, and it may be a surprise to learn that it is not at all similar to Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn or J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye. Instead. the newest source of turmoil is an illustrated children's book, Maggie Goes on a Diet, by Paul M. Kramer.

The 14-year-old title character, unhappy and insecure because she is overweight, decides to take charge. Maggie begins to exercise regularly, eat healthier foods, and eventually becomes a popular member of a soccer team. She learns that you can achieve any goal with hard work and determination. So, why all the uproar?

"Essentially, the public is outraged because this books title contains the word 'diet and is aimed at young girls," says David Katz. senior medical advisor at MindStrearn Academy, Bluffton. S.C.. a coed health and wellness boarding school for teens. "The prevailing opinion is that encouraging kids to diet will lower their self-esteem, cause them to develop unhealthy habits, and maybe even spark weight-related neuroses."

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