Junk food is bad for every child. But for ten-year-old Stefan Abram, it throws his world into chaos.

A single cheeseburger, chocolate bar or can of Coke makes Stefan so hyperactive he ends up beside himself with frustrated energy and uncontrollable mood swings.

Stefan has a hypersensitivity to artificial flavours that has drastically affected his life and even caused him to be excluded from school.

Now he follows a strict diet that prevents him from eating almost anything except natural food cooked by his mum Katrina.

The family, of Willow Park, Haywards Heath, first noticed Stefan's unusual reactions when he was just a toddler, although at that time they did not know what was causing his manic behaviour.

Mrs Abram, 42, said: "He was always very active, from the moment he started to move. When my daughter was in ballet class, I would take a pile of toys and books to keep him occupied. That would last about two minutes, then he would be running in and out of all the girls and I'd have to leave.

"He was only 18 months old."

As Stefan grew up, he became more frantic.

At school, Stefan would be unable to sit still. At the time, the family were living in Denmark. Although his school was understanding, he was often in trouble for being disruptive.

Mrs Abram said: "I was getting called more and more often, saying he is just not able to be in class. He would throw books round the classroom, destroy displays, then when it got really bad he would hide.

"If he was off school for any length of time, he would calm down."

Stefan ended up being excluded for attacking a teacher.

After that the family moved to England in 2004, where Stefan has followed a careful diet and his behaviour has massively improved.

Mrs Abram has placed him on the Feingold Programme, an American exclusion diet for children whose brains seem to be affected by chemical substances in food.

Stefan avoids artificial flavourings of all kinds, as well as salicylic acid found in natural foodstuffs such as oranges, apples and raisins.

At McDonald's, he can eat chips and just a burger, without a bun. But he cannot eat bread, sweets, margarine and even some natural cereals because a preservative is sprayed on the inside of the packet.

Even artificial aromas can be harmful, which means Stefan must be protected from smells such as air fresheners, perfumes and paints.

Mrs Abram has set up a healthy tuck shop at Northlands Wood Community Primary School in Haywards Heath to enable Stefan and other children to eat better. Before going to Northlands, Stefan attended Waterfield Primary School in Crawley on a part-time basis.

Mrs Abram believes the family's efforts have saved Stefan from having to attend a special school and from taking Ritalin.

Mrs Abram is happy to talk to anyone interested in finding out more about the programme. Contact her at katrina@idag.org or call 01444 451068.