Folks, you just have to be very careful with your use of plastics. While some are relatively inert, it is important to realize that they are all synthetic and as such have the potential to leach potentially toxic products into your local environment, which can have quite serious health-damaging effects.

On the heels of my recent warning about the dire effects of bisphenol A (BPA) on your baby's fertility comes another report that blames endocrine-disrupting chemicals like BPA on exacerbating your child's risks of obesity. BPA disrupts the effect of estrogen in the developing brain at surprisingly low doses, and alters the expression of important developmental genes.

Scientists estimate there are about 1,000 man-made chemicals that can be designated as endocrine disruptors, and they can be found in common plastics, pesticides and electronics.

Babies who are born underweight come programmed with a metabolic system designed for starvation that maximizes the use of all food children consume. All the more reason to protect your children from toxins as much as you can in their foods and drinking water and from personal care products they may use. Some common sense tips you can use today to reduce your exposure to harmful chemicals:

• Store your food and water in glass containers whenever practical and possible.
• Eat as many organic foods as you can.
• Avoid processed foods.