Are toys, pacifiers and even shampoo driving the epidemic of childhood obesity? 

Researchers from the Children's Environmental Health Center at The Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York have found an association between a class of chemical substances known as "phthalates" and obesity in young children.

Phthalates are man-made chemicals that disrupt your endocrine system because they mimic the body's natural hormones. They are commonly used in building materials like plastic flooring and wall coverings, food processing materials and medical devices. They are also found in many personal-care products such as shampoos, nail polish, deodorants, fragrances, hair gels, mousses, hairsprays, and hand and body lotions.  Children's toys and some pacifiers are known to contain phthalates which help soften the plastics used in the manufacturing. 

You've heard the saying "Life is short.  Eat dessert first."  Do you know anyone who always wants to order dessert first when out to dinner...just in case? Perhaps you are that person.

Take it one step further.  Instead of just eating dessert before dinner, why not eat it before lunch? How about chocolate cake at breakfast?

If that sounds like a diet disaster, think again. Research from Tel Aviv University presented at a meeting of the Endocrine Society finds that eating dessert as part of a balanced 600 calorie breakfast can help you lose weight and keep it off for the long haul.

Olive oil has been a mainstay of the Mediterranean diet for thousands of years and is well known as a heart healthy fat. A study published online in Neurology now suggests that consuming olive oil may also help prevent strokes in older people.

The research was conducted in France at the University of Bordeaux and the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM) in Bordeaux.  The researchers were so excited by their results that they suggested a new set of dietary recommendations to prevent stroke in people 65 and older.  Stroke is very common in older people and they believe olive oil would be an inexpensive and easy way to help prevent it.

Parsley is well known for decorating a plate, freshening your breath and getting stuck in your teeth.  But did you know that it is also a cancer crusader?  Research shows this tiny green may stop the growth of breast cancer tumors associated with synthetic hormone replacement therapy.

The use of synthetic progestins as part of hormone replacement therapy has been clearly linked to an increase in breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women.  

In a study published in Cancer Prevention Research scientists exposed rats to apigenin, a common flavonoid found in parsley, other plants, fruits and nuts.  The rats on apigenin developed fewer tumors and experienced significant delays in tumor formation compared to those that were not exposed to apigenin.

The finding is significant for the six to ten million women in the U.S. who use synthetic hormone replacement therapies.  The authors noted that certain hormones used in synthetic HRT accelerate breast tumor development.  The study exposed rats to one of the chemical progestins used in the most common HRTs prescribed in the United States -- medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA).  MPA progestin is known to be the same synthetic hormone that accelerates breast tumor development.

Omega 3 fatty acids in the form of fish oil pills have become a popular supplement for their heart health benefits.  But fish oil is also good for your head.  Research shows that omega 3 fatty acids may be beneficial for treating serious mood disorders, stress, and even alcohol abuse.

Researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine conducted a multi-year study which showed conclusive behavioral and molecular benefits when omega 3 fatty acids were given to mice with bipolar disorder. The fatty acid DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), which is one of the main active ingredients in fish oil, "normalized their behavior," according to Alexander B. Niculescu, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of psychiatry and the lead author of the study.

The study which was reported in the journal Translational Psychiatry, found that mice with characteristic bipolar symptoms including being depressed and, when subjected to stress, becoming manic, responded well to the DHA in fish oil.

Recent news from the American Heart Association claims that 1 of every 10 Americans dies from eating too much salt.  But is it true?  Health organizations and groups with political agendas are ignoring a growing body of research finding that less salt does not equal a longer life and in fact can have some dire consequences.

The AHA news was based on a Harvard study using computer modeling to also estimate that 2.3 million people worldwide died of too much salt in 2010.  The study recommended that dietary sodium be cut to 1,000 milligrams per day – less even than AHA guidelines. 

But casting doubt on the recommendations to lower sodium in your diet, the respected Cochrane Collaboration in 2011 found that moderate reductions in the amount of salt people eat doesn't reduce their likelihood of dying or experiencing cardiovascular disease.

The diet food industry's solution to the spread of obesity has been to reduce the calories in processed foods on the theory that the same volume of food will satisfy your appetite regardless of nutrient content.  They had great hopes especially for the idea of low-fat potato chips as a weight loss aid.  But it turns out that the artificial fat substitutes used in low-fat foods may actually lead to weight gain and obesity.

Researchers at Purdue University conducted a study using laboratory rats fed either a high-fat diet or a low-fat diet. The study found that fat substitutes can interfere with the body's ability to regulate food intake.  Our bodies get confused with artificial ingredients and the study shows that can lead to inefficient use of calories and ultimately weight gain. 

From the Paleolithic diet to the raw food diet, many health-conscious Americans want to eat the way our ancient ancestors ate because it's more "natural."  Granted either way of eating is a vast improvement over the Standard American Diet (SAD) high in sugar, chemicals, processed foods and unhealthy fats.  

But some of these back-to-our-roots dietary prescriptions make little sense for modern humans, according to a book on the evolution of the use of food and eating habits among prehistoric people.

While we can learn a lot from what our ancestors ate, many of our more modern foods and diets were developed for very good reasons, according to Kristen Gremillion, associate professor of anthropology at Ohio State University.

Gremillion is the author of "Ancestral Appetites: Food in Prehistory" which explores how humans have adjusted their food and the way they prepare it in response to new knowledge and new environments.

Whether it's regular or decaf, coffee appears to lower a man's risk of developing a deadly form of prostate cancer according to Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers.  In a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute researchers examined whether coffee could lower the risk of aggressive prostate cancer which causes death or spreads to the bones. 

Among U.S. men, prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed form of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death, affecting one in six men during their lifetime. More than 2 million men in the U.S. and 16 million men worldwide are prostate cancer survivors. 

The Harvard researchers chose to study coffee because it contains many beneficial compounds that act as antioxidants, reduce inflammation, and regulate insulin, all of which may influence prostate cancer. Coffee has also been associated in prior studies with a lower risk of Parkinson's disease, type 2 diabetes, gallstone disease, and liver cancer or cirrhosis.

Are you really good at controlling your diet all day long but can't stop eating from dinner to bedtime?  It may not be a question of willpower but poor planning.  According to a new study, eating a really high protein breakfast can head off those evenings munchies. 

Researchers from the University of Missouri believed a high protein breakfast could significantly improve appetite control.  They tested their theory on 20 overweight or obese young women aged 18-20 who, like almost 60% of young Americans, normally skip breakfast altogether. 

In the study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, women either skipped breakfast, ate a normal protein (13 grams) breakfast of cereal or a high protein (35 grams) meal of eggs and lean beef.  The meals all consisted of 350 calories and the same levels of fat, fiber and sugar.  Participants completed questionnaires and provided blood samples throughout the day. Prior to dinner, an MRI of each woman's brain tracked brain signals that control food motivation and reward-driven eating behavior.

Compared to no breakfast or eating cereal, eating a high-protein breakfast reduced evening snacking on high-fat and high-sugar foods.  It also led to an increased feeling of satiety and a reduction in brain activity that controls food cravings.

The high protein breakfasts in the study included burritos or egg-based waffles with a beef sausage patty.  Researchers also suggest eating plain Greek yogurt (13-18 grams per 6 ounces) or cottage cheese (30 grams in one cup).

The study was funded in part by the Beef Check-off and the Egg Nutrition Center/American Egg Board.  But a prior study by the same group and funded by the National Institutes of Health reached the same conclusion regarding hunger during the day.