Cesarean section births are on the rise.  In 2007, 32% of all births in the United States were C-sections compared to 23% in 2000 (in other developed countries the rates range between 10-15%).  While some C-sections are medically necessary due to birth complications (e.g. a breach birth etc.), there has been an increase in the...Read More

Eating disorders such as anorexia or bulemia are serious illnesses that affect millions of adolescents and young adults in this country.  While much attention has been focused on these disorders, less has been said about how its seeds may be sown in the preteen years.  Surveys have shown that the more kids are exposed to...Read More

A curious developmental phenomenon is occurring in Japan as a result of the stagnant economic conditions that have been present there since the early 1990’s:  the emergence of a new group of young adults, mostly men, who have given up going to school or working at a job and have instead chosen to spend virtually...Read More

Fast food chains, snack food companies, and beverage manufacturers that target young people are creating a health crisis that is like a ticking time bomb waiting to explode sometime in the next few decades.  Through promotional tie-ins, two-for-one deals, free beverage refills, and access to public schools and other places where kids congregate, corporate pushers...Read More

On January 22, 2007, the American Library Association awarded The Newbery Medal (the most prestigious book award for children’s literature) to Susan Patron for her book “The Higher Power of Lucky.”  The book is about a ten year old girl named Lucky living in a tiny town in the California desert who fears being abandoned...Read More