What parent hasn’t considered the possibility of postponing or rejecting routine vaccinations out of fear of a link between vaccines and Autism?

Over a year ago, and with little fanfare, Dr. Wakefield’s 1998 study indicating a link between the Measels, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine and Autism was exposed as a fake.  At that time, medical personnel worried that calling attention to the inaccuracy of the study could lead to a resurgence of vaccination avoidance and stir up the debate again.

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It all began with my bookclub that meets on Thursday nights.

This time around, we read The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan, considered light reading for the two food scientists in the group. The appalling revelation in the book is how much corn is part of our diet — as well as the diet of the animals we eat — and a main ingredient (in its various forms) in the processed foods that we eat.

I admit, I learned just enough to be considered dangerous.

The bookclub host served up a corn-free meal for the group (no easy task) and I had a lengthy conversation with a member who lives in the city and raises chickens for their fresh eggs.  One bookclubber confessed that she was going to start feeding her dog a raw diet - just fresh, natural people food- because she had learned that most kibble has ingredients that can cause skin problems and allergies in dogs. That’s when I realized she was feeding her dog better than I was feeding my children!

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A new study came out this week that said that 1 out of every 5 four-year-olds in America is obese. (That’s a little over 18 percent of the kids who participated in this ethnically-diverse sampling, and children of color are at an even higher risk.)

In an article on CNN.com, researchers pointed out that kids are now becoming overweight even before they run across vending machines, soda pop, and the serious junk food binges that many teens and pre-teens get into.

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How do you know your child is old enough to use the public restroom by himself?

Last week, my husband was out of town, and I took my son to the “Super Great Wall Buffet” — our favorite cheap all-you-can-eat joint. I was all excited to have an evening out with my son, and also glad not to have to rustle up a meal using the minimal contents of my refrigerator. (”Hey Honey, how about applesauce-pasta-curry tonight?”)

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This week, it was reported that mercury is contained in half the tested samples of commercial high-fructose corn syrup in our food– yes, that’s the sweetener that has replaced sugar in much of the stuff Americans consume every day. From catsup, juice and strawberry jelly to Coca-Cola, this substance laces uncountable items lining our grocery store shelves. And here’s the kicker — reportedly, the FDA knew about it and sat on the information. (This, coming on the heels of the news that the peanut butter factory behind the recent salmonella outbreak has a long rapsheet of health violations.)

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For a long time it felt like I was constantly telling my kids, “Stop tattling!”  Whether it was reporting on who was hitting a sibling, who ate chocolate chips without asking, or who was coloring when they should be doing homework, the tattling in my house had gotten out of hand. In fact, it got to the point where I would turn a deaf ear any time someone ran up to me and started ratting out their brother or sister. Ignoring any and all telling came back to haunt me one day, though, when my daughter ran inside for what I thought was another tattle session. I held up my hand and stated, “I don’t want to hear it!  I’m tired of you tattling on your brother!”  Imagine my horror when she proceeded to tell me through tears that her brother had fallen off the deck and cut his knee wide open. That’s when I realized our family had to come up with some way of differentiating between tattling and reporting.

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With the economy melting down like a not-so-delicious chocolate lava cake, my husband and I recently came up with some ways to cut back on our expenses. These suggestions might not work for everyone, but they have helped us to save money in the last month or so:

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“Pharming”, or the abuse of prescription drugs, is on the rise amongst 12 to 17-year-olds.

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