Toxic Chemicals

Students in my Parenting and Family Development course call me the "plastic  lady" because each semester I give a scary lecture about the dangers of plastics.  I urge them to discard water bottles left in their cars, use ceramic and glass containers in the microwave, wait for plastic bottles to cool in the fridge instead of putting them in the freezer, and use glass or BPA free plastic baby bottles, etc.

After reading the following article, I will have additional warnings about 4 more toxic chemicals that we encounter everyday.

Enjoy! 

Common Toxic Chemicals

Divorce After 40 Years

Many were stunned at the announcement of divorce for Al and Tipper Gore after 40 years of marriage. What could have gone wrong? Why would a couple divorce after being together for so many years?

Now that people are living longer these days (76 years for men & 81 years for women) we are seeing more divorces among those in the "baby boomer" generation. In addition to longevity, there are other reasons why marriages are ending after many years.

Staying Together for the Kids - Some couples make a conscious (or unconscious) decision to preserve the family and hang in there until the kids are out of the house. Often remaining in a cold and emotionless marriage these individuals feel that it would be too traumatic for children if they were to divorce.

Empty Nest Syndrome- Once children leave home, spouses are left with someone they have not spent much time with over the last 20 years or so. The focus is no longer on the children, but now back on the relationship. This transition can be uncomfortable or dissatisfying for some.

Growing Apart - It is expected that individuals are going to change over time. Whether for good or bad, these changes can affect marital relationships. Growing apart is often a factor in the empty nest syndrome, where over the years a couple has grown in different directions. Their goals, dreams, and life purposes may not include each other anymore.

Finances - With large representations in the workplace, women no longer rely on their husbands income for support. Some earn more money than their husbands, thereby having resources to support themselves if they decide to leave.


 

Danger...Curves Ahead

Research published in the past five years suggests that men find curvy women more attractive than thin women.  It appears that waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), the difference between waist and hip measurements, is not only a better indicator of health but an attribute found more attractive to men.

In a recent study, brain scans showed more activity when men viewed pictures of curvy women in comparison to those of normal weight women (based on body mass index-BMI).  Although men did find women with normal BMIs attractive, their evaluations were simple and purely visual.  When viewing women with curvier shapes, the desire and reward areas in the brain were most active.

The Sex Life of Teenagers

It can be very difficult for some parents to talk to their teenagers about sex.  Hopefully, the statistics that follow will encourage more dialogue about this topic.  In fact, parents should begin having these conversations with their preschoolers and school aged children (a topic we will cover in the future).

According to the National Survey of Family Growth (2010) 

Females aged 15-19:
     38% had intercourse in the last 12 months
     13% had sex 4 or more times in the past month
     14% lost their virginity to someone they "just met"              or were "just friends"
     21% didn't use any contraception during first                      sexual experience
     44% think it is better to get married than go through life being single
     51% agree that 18 year-olds can have sex if they like each other
     84% of females used birth control during most recent intercourse
             55% used a condom
             31% used the pill
             21% used both
             10% other methods (hormone shot, the patch, etc.) 

Males age 15-19:
     38% had intercourse in the last 12 months
     11% had sex 4 or more times in the past month
     25% lost their virginity to someone they "just met" or were "just friends"
     13% did not use any contraception during their first sexual experience    
     49% think it is better to get married than go through life being single
     56% agree that 18 year-olds can have sex if they like each other
     79% of males used a condom during most recent intercourse

Additional findings:

• Females who did not use contraception during their first sexual experience are twice as likely to get pregnant before 20.
• Most common reason to abstain from sex was "religion or morals"
• 14% of females and 18% of males would be "very pleased" or "a little pleased" if they were pregnant or got someone pregnant
• 15-19 year-olds have the highest rates of STDs (chlamydia & gonorrhea with syphilis on the rise)
• While only 25% of the sexually experienced population, 15-24 year olds have 50% of all new STDs

I think that it may be time for all of us to encourage (and/or have) a conversation with a future teenager about these numbers!  What do you think?