It’s not due in bookstores until October, but Paul Kramer’s book, “Maggie Goes On a Diet” is already making headlines.

The already-controversial book, about an overweight 14-year-old girl who goes on a diet and has a life transformation, has some parents in an uproar and calling for a boycott on a book that they think could promote eating disorders.

According to the book’s description, the “fat” Maggie endures teasing and ridicule from her classmates. Enter the “thin” Maggie and you’ve got popular school soccer star.

But the author of the book told “Good Morning America” that his intention was that kids would make healthy choices after reading his book.

Read more here

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Norton, the computer security software giant, released to the public a list of search terms by age group.  What the kids are searching for is something parents need to both question and assure that their own children aren’t searching for anything similar.

While many aren’t anything that should cause concern things like youtube and myspace, among the result are some decidedly ‘adult’ terms.  Below is the top ten (by age-group), and the list continues past that.

This is quite alarming, even if you aren’t an alarmist. 

Is there cause for concern?  While very few will argue that kids shouldn’t know about this kind of thing, many also argue that parents need to do more to protect their children- especially online.  Keeping the home computer in a public place,and limiting access to more mobile devices could help. 

While with the older set, and all school aged kids need access to computers, keep it within the parents view can help curb any inappropriate searches.

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There are many issues parents face, but none as able to touch off heated debate like vaccinations. Both sides of the argument are understandable from a certain point of view.   No one wants to expose their children to something than can potentially harm them in any way.

There’s still so much controversy over the vaccinations actually causing Autism or not, many stand convinced of one way or another.

With the recent Newsweek stinging article on Oprah, the topic is receiving an even larger audience.  With Oprah’s  own support of starlet Jenny McCarthy, and giving her a television show the topic will be reaching even more people.   While the soapbox is potentially a good thing to bring information about Autism to the forefront, it’s doubtful McCarthy is an appropriate choice to be tapped for the role.

Point blank, her agenda frightens me.  She claims to have ‘cured’ her son’s Autism with a special diet.   She’s soon to not only be the starlet from MTV turned mom, she’s going to be a voice of an activist movement.  People listen to those on television, it’s part of our genetic code to follow a leader.  Save for in our modern times, we don’t have the same social structure we did in the millenia past.

Now, I wholly want to admit here that I vaccinated my daughter.  However, I didn’t just ‘do it’ I’ve been doing massive research into the topic since I’d originally heard it.  After talking to many professionals, and doing my own research I decided that it was what was best for my child.  Many have come to another conclusion which, if the proper research is done is understandable.

Personally I’m not sure how I feel about the link, the nature of Autism and the age of onset lend credence to the denials of doctors.  Yet the growing number of cases, lend credence to the theory.

What are your thoughts on the link and McCarthy’s claims?