cover image Kid Fitness

Kid Fitness

Kenneth H. Cooper. Bantam Books, $19.5 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-553-07332-4

This exhaustive work by ``father of aerobics'' Cooper ( Controlling Cholesterol ) will be welcomed by parents concerned about high levels of cholesterol in their children and how a child's ``tendency to baby fat'' (and, often, heart disease) can best be countered. The book is full of interesting and important data, case studies and the doctor's sound advice about how to inspire reform in children and what to expect at what stage of development. ``It's important for adults to be understanding and patient,'' he admonishes. However, Cooper's opus is almost too comprehensive. An entire section is devoted to well-conceived recipes for snacks, sandwiches, soups and desserts, and much information is provided for parents of teenagers, ranging from such topics as ``specificity training'' and ``overloading'' to the use of steroids (mainly, how a parent should react if he or she suspects the teenager is using them). While this might be useful for a family of seven running the gamut of ages in children, most heads of smaller families may want to concentrate on only a few stages of development, leaping immediate hurdles and foregoing the big picture. (Aug.)