The ketogenic diet is most often prescribed for children over one year of age. Children under the age of one year have trouble becoming ketotic and maintaining ketosis. They are also prone to hypoglycaemia. Therefore, the diet is not often advised for children under one year old. Traditionally the diet was rarely used in school-age children since it was believed that their dietary habits were too ingrained and that food temptations for children outside the home would be too great. An older child who already goes to school and loves McDonald's may find the diet more difficult than a very young child who has not yet formed strong eating habits. A child whose friends are eating pizza and cookies in the school cafeteria will be more tempted to cheat than one who spends all day with a parent. But in their determination to defeat their seizure disorders, older children can often summon up the willpower to resist temptation. As long as it controls their seizures, many children wouldn't give up their ketogenic meals for anything. The strength and determination of many of these children amazes their parents and teachers.
The ketogenic diet may therefore be recommended for older children provided that they and their families are highly motivated. In our experience, even determined adolescents have completed the diet successfully. After infancy, motivation is more important than age in determining the potential success of the diet. Few adults have been tried on the diet. It has been said that adults have difficulty maintaining ketosis, but to our knowledge this has not been studied in depth. |
to the top of this page.