I am so thrilled to announce that Naturepedic is very generously giving away one free Naturepadic mattress at each of the four SuperBaby events next week! Naturepedic is considered to be the gold standard in organic mattresses. My kids sleep on these mattresses themselves and I recommend them in SuperBaby:12 Ways to Give Your Child a Head Start in the First 3 Years.

They believe, as do I, that a natural and organic baby crib mattress is the first step toward a healthy crib environment for your baby. Other mattresses are commonly made with petroleum-based synthetics, polyurethane foam, vinyl (PVC), phthalates, chemical fire retardants, and an extensive list of added industrial chemicals that have been linked to health risks. Naturepdic avoids those toxic chemicals. For more info checkout their site at www.Naturepedic.com.

 Join me at the signings and get one raffle ticket for each book purchased. Raffles will be drawn at the end of the night and winners will be notified (don’t forget to write your phone number on the back of your tickets!).

 Monday, September 13th at 7 PM at The Pump Station Westlake 2879 Agoura Rd. Westlake Village, CA 91361

Tuesday, September 14^th at 6:30 PM for West LA Parents of Multiples Private home (members only)

 Wednesday, September 15th at 7 PM at The Little Seed 219 N. Larchmont Blvd. LA 90004

Thursday, September 16th at 7 PM at The Pump Station Santa Monica 2415 Wilshire Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90403

To RSVP to the events email SuperBaby@SterlingPublishing.com and indicate which signings you will attend or just stop by!

In the United States an estimated 11 million people suffer from eating disorders, 10 million of whom are women and 1 million are men. If the rates of subclinial eating disorders (eating disorders that do not meet the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual requirements to be officially diagnosed) were to be counted those numbers would go up exponentially. The National Eating Disorders Association estimates that 20 % of those still experiencing symptoms after 20 years will die. This means that eating disorders have the highest death rate of any mental illness in Western society.

Culturally, there is enormous pressure to be thin. Studies of Playboy  models and Miss America contestant winners over a thirty year period showed a steady decrease in body weight over time. These “ideal” models of the female body have stabilized at 13-16% below expected weight. Which is particularly shocking since it takes 22% body fat to ovulate and menstruate. The criteria for anorexia nervosa as defined by the DSM-IV includes body weight 15% below expected and amenorrhea (the absence of at least three consecutive menstrual periods). It is a sad statement on society that that the “ideal” female body meets half the diagnostic criteria for an eating disorder.      

As the cultural ideal grows thinner and thinner, those who hope to achieve it work harder and harder to deprive their bodies. In a society where dieting is a $50 billion a year industry, women can’t help but feel the pressure to be thin. Sadly, even though the dieting recidivism rate has been reported to be as high as 99.5% dieting has become a rite of passage, a normal way to become part of the adult female world. It is that restrictive eating that is often the first step for an eating disorder to blossom.

This year I asked my husband and kids for a chicken… a live one for Mother’s Day. I don’t need another piece of jewelry or flowers that will die. I need to know that I am making a difference in the world and that I am modeling good values to my kids. So often parents try to get their children to be charitable around their birthdays (“Let’s give those extra gifts to children in need!” or “Let’s tell all your friends to make a donation instead of giving you a gift!”) but we conveniently forget to lead by example. So this year I decided to practice what I preach and asked to have a chicken sponsored on my behalf at Farm Sanctuary. We are a vegetarian family and talk to our kids about the suffering of animals quite frequently. I want them to see me model charitable behavior and for them to learn first hand what I think is really important to me.