1 The Children's Hospital Medical Center, 300 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115
Dr. Cohen asks, "What are the risks of dietary therapy?" In my article I have tried to point out that the modified low fat diet that is recommended by the American Heart Association might have the following risks: (1) Diets high in polyunsaturated fat may lead to the formation of gallstones (Sturdevant RL, et al: N Engl J Med 288:24, 1973); (2) Diets too low in fat such as those based on no fat skim deprive infants and children of a substantial caloric source (Fomom SJ, et al: Acta Pediatr Scand 66:17, 1977).