And while each one focuses on a different issue—chemical exposure, food dyes, processed meats—they’re connected by growing evidence that what children eat and interact with daily can have meaningful, cumulative effects on their health.
Let’s unpack what’s new, what’s worth paying attention to, and where we can go from here.
These studies are part of a larger trend: more research is confirming that many common exposures—things we might not even think twice about—could be influencing kids’ development, metabolism, behavior, and long-term health risks.
That doesn’t mean panic. But it does mean it’s worth paying attention to the patterns.
A recent study found 96 different chemicals in toddlers’ bodies. Some of these come from pesticides or pollution—but many are from plastics, personal care products, and packaging materials.
Small shifts to consider
Swap vinyl bath toys for silicone or rubber
Use fragrance-free soaps and lotions
Store leftovers in glass instead of plastic
Artificial dyes like Red 40 and Yellow 6 are still used in many U.S. products, even though they’ve been restricted elsewhere due to possible links to behavioral and immune effects.
And they’re not just in candy—they show up in breads, yogurts, boxed snacks, and more.
Not sure where to begin?
Read labels for: Red 40, Yellow 5/6, Blue 1 - anything with a COLOR + NUMBER
Seek natural alternatives: turmeric, beet powder, freeze-dried berries
Another study linked just 50g of processed meat a day—about one hot dog—to an 11% increase in diabetes risk and 7% increase in colorectal cancer risk.
Again, this isn’t about swearing off cookouts. It’s about noticing patterns and creating more variety over time.
Easy Alternatives to Processed Meats
Rotisserie chicken
Tuna in olive oil
Hummus + veggie wraps
Lentil patties or hard-boiled eggs
A 17-year national study found worsening trends in nearly every area of kids’ health—from obesity and mental health to early mortality.
We can’t solve this alone. But we can control the environments we create at home—what we bring in, what we normalize, and how we talk about food and health.
Here’s a simple roadmap:
You don’t need to overhaul everything. You just need to start where you are—and keep moving forward, one choice at a time.
Full Transcript
Hi everyone, Dr. Kiyah here. I wanna talk today about something that has been showing up in the headlines and likely it's showing up in your home too.
Several studies came out this week covering everything from food dyes and chemical exposure to the health risks of consuming processed meats.
And they are connected by a thread of growing evidence that is demonstrating that what kids eat and what we eat and interact with daily, everything from what's going into our lunchboxes to what's happening at bath time, can have meaningful cumulative effects on our bodies. So let's break down this week what we're learning and where that leaves us as parents who want to do right by our kids without losing our sanity in the process. Let's start by talking about what's going on. So here is a quick summary of what's new.
A study found 96 different chemicals in the urine of toddlers. Another linked even small daily amounts of processed meat to higher risk of chronic disease. And those artificial food dyes you hear about, they are still present in one in every five packaged foods, often in places you might not expect. So if you've ever paused while packing a lunch and wondered, is this okay? You're not imagining it. The stakes are high.
The news is though that we are not powerless and while these headlines can feel overwhelming, they also give us a very clear place to focus, which is that small adjustments we make over time can support our kids' health in the long term.
Parents have always been worried about food and food safety. What seems to have changed in the last couple of decades is the sheer volume of ultra-processed options and that those multiple exposures stack up over time. Because we're not just dealing with one sugary snack or one hot dog. We are talking about dozens of small exposures every day, often from birth, that create a cumulative load on the body.
So let's start with that first study about chemical exposure. In this study, researchers detected nearly 100 different chemicals in young children, everything from phthalates to parabens, pesticides to flame retardants. And these exposures, they report, are not just coming from food. They are showing up in everyday products, things like sippy cups, soaps and lotions, bath toys, cleaning supplies. ⁓
packages that we keep foods in. Kids are more vulnerable to these compounds because of their size, their metabolism, and the fact that their bodies are still developing. But that doesn't mean we need to panic.
But it does suggest that even small changes, like choosing unscented products, like avoiding microwaving plastics, or switching from plastic to silicone, that these can make a difference over time. So for example, your toddler's lunch might include deli meat and plastic baggies, a squeezable pouch, a fruit pouch, a bottle of water, perhaps it sat in the car and warmed up overnight. If you're doing this, you might be serving up a handful of unintentional additions.
Now that doesn't mean that the lunch is bad. It does mean that it's worth looking at it and thinking about it carefully so that you can start to make some swaps if possible. Okay.
Let's talk about the latest research on artificial dyes. So red number three was recently banned if you saw that in the headlines, but others like red 40 and yellow six, these are still widely used in the US food supply. They're most common in candy and snacks. Yes, that's for sure. But they also show up in unexpected places and places you might not be looking for them. Yogurt, boxed macaroni and cheese, crackers, even some breads and buns. Although these have been deemed safe by the FDA, some studies have
linked these dyes to hyperactivity, to immune concerns, and to cellular stress. And while more research is always helpful, many countries, including those in the EU, have moved to limit or restrict their use. If this feels like new territory for you and you're thinking, a minute, how do I even know if this is in my food? All you have to do is look at the label. Anything that has a color plus a number. Red 40, blue 1, yellow 5. That's an artificial dye.
And finally, a third major study this week linked regular intake of processed meat, like hot dogs and deli slices, to increased risk of type two diabetes and colorectal cancer. And what surprised me most about this was how low the threshold for intake was, just 50 grams a day. That's about the equivalent of a single hot dog.
That doesn't mean that you or your kid can never eat a hot dog again. It is worth thinking, however, about how often these foods are showing up in your diet and where you may be able to offer alternatives some of the time.
Personally, this came up for me just last weekend at a family cookout. There were hot dogs, burgers, chips, juice pouches, fruit juice pouches, and all of the buns came in plastic. And I had that moment we've all had. What do I do? Do I get different food for my kid? Do I mention the study I just read? Do I say nothing? In the end, I decided not to say anything at that time because one barbecue is not the problem.
But if we were eating like that three or four times a week or building lunch boxes entirely from these foods, then yeah, I might be thinking more carefully about it because the risk becomes bigger. And look, this is not about perfection. It's about staying aware of the patterns that exist in your own life and in your own family. Because stepping back from this, these aren't one-off concerns. A long-term study tracking child health in the US found many indicators, obesity, chronic disease, mental health, are all moving in the wrong direction.
our kids are less healthy than they used to be. And that feels discouraging, I get it. But I also see it as a call to action, especially for those of us who care about raising resilient and healthy kids, which I think is why you're here. When we focus on the environments we can control, our homes, our routines, the way we talk about food and health with our kids, we create a buffer. We're not putting them in a bubble, but we're buffering them and that matters. So.
You're thinking, where do I start? Here are five ideas. Pick one area to reassess. Maybe it's lunch meat, maybe it's plastic storage, maybe it's reading snack labels. Number two, don't aim for all or nothing. Aim for a little bit better most of the time. Number three, involve your kids in this process. I talk about this all the time. Read the labels with them. Experiment with colorful foods. Talk about why you're making changes. Bring them in. Number four, stay curious about yourself and others. And number five, share what you learned with a friend, with a partner, with your community.
with the school, not coming from a place of judgment but simply wanting to share what you've learned for others who may also want to make changes in their habits too. Because this is how change happens. It's not overnight but it is meal by meal, habit by habit, conversation by conversation. And in the end this isn't just about reducing risk, it's really about reinforcing our values like caring about our health, paying attention to how things are made, and practicing thoughtful intentional decision making.
When we treat food and health as a long game, not a list of rules, we help our kids build trust in us and in their own ability to make good choices that serve them well over time. If these studies feel like just one more thing that you have to worry about, I get it. It's not my intention to make you feel that way.
I believe that they're useful because they help shed light on places where we can take action and that's where your power lives. Not in being in complete control, but making intentional decisions. Thanks for being here, for thinking critically and caring deeply. That effort that you're making, it really does matter. I'll see you next time.
