Best of Earth911 Podcast: Author David Steinman on Raising Healthy Kids In a Toxic World

Meet David Steinman, an environmental activist, investigative journalist, and author who has worked to expose the dangers of chemical toxins in everyday life. Steinman’s bestselling 1990 book, Diet for a Poisoned Planet, highlighted the hidden chemical dangers in our food. In his latest book, Raising Healthy Kids: Protecting Your Children from Hidden Chemical Toxins, examines how everyday products contribute to this health crisis and offers practical advice for parents to reduce their children’s exposure to these hidden dangers, creating a safer environment for the next generation. Cancer cases in people under 50 increased by 79% between 1990 and 2019, according to several studies and a research report published in Nature found that more than half of the cancers it studied, eight of 14 illness, were related to the digestive system. Highly processed foods and many apparently natural products that are sprayed with pesticides and herbicides not disclosed on labeling, are making us sick.

The rising incidence of childhood illnesses, including developmental and behavioral disorders, which experts increasingly link to environmental factors. For example, exposure to pesticides, particularly organophosphate (OP) pesticides, has been linked to an increase in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and reduced cognitive function in children. David’s new book also explores the role of nature in the developing personality and as an antidote for some of the harms chemicals cause in childhood. David explains that parents can be diligent on a budget, so consider adding a water filter on your faucet and filtering the air in your home — inexpensive options available to almost all families — and choose organic produce at the grocery store. Most importantly, you can take action by taking kids outside, writing letters demanding better regulation of chemicals and becoming a citizen enforcer, calling out dangerous toxic products in your community. You can find Raising Healthy Kids: Protecting Your Children from Hidden Chemical Toxins on Amazon and at Powell’s Books.

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Editor’s Note: This episode originally aired on September 23, 2024.