I admit I couldn't read this article to the end. I'm on a diet that restricts reading about diets.

I should warn, as a recent survivor of something called "Wilson's Temperature Syndrome," that fasting and restricting one's diet can have a side effect in lower body temperature. And I can also tell you, this is does not feel good. It could involve sleeplessness, tiredness, and general and severe achiness, among other things. I don't recommend it. So monitor yourself for this if you're going to try something extreme to lose weight or improve your health.

As for these neurotic sickos who think they're going to live to be 150 by eating fake chicken -- who is going to want to be around them anyway? Use common sense, eat the most natural, whole, unadulterated and uncooked food you can, and let your own body set the limits. I guarantee that a body on healthy food is not going to overeat.

And remember to eat with others. Eating alone is pathetic, and you don't get sex for dessert. Bon appetit! :)

There's no causation link with HPV and cervical cancer, so just adding that to a smoking study is ridiculous. Smoking has already been shown to cause increased cervical cancer rates, so there was no reason to bother with an HPV/smoking study.

HPV is just crap meant to scare sexually active women and to make money on a so-called vaccine.

Why don't you do a story about how HPV is crap instead? In fact, I wrote one for a South African magazine years ago, and it almost got published except that these bubbleheads wanted a lifestyle-profile of Christiane Northrup once they found out I had contacted her as a source. I found a strong correlation between living in a country where women get beaten up regularly and the incidence of cervical cancer -- because low self-esteem means low immunity. South Africa just happens to be one of those countries, and the media there don't seem to care much. Incidentally, a lot of this leading HPV pseudo-research was carried out there, in Witwatersrand.

--A Lean, Mean Cervical Cancer Survivor

A belly button peeking out IS inappropriate. It's just not in style for males. Women in general need to get hip to what their cutesy clothing habits are doing to their careers, definitely. I'm so sorry it's not fair.

. . . the part about the kid lacking practical skills because, being from Guatemala, he lacks imagination.

Yes, there is that part about motivation, goals, a sense of autonomy in life behind responsible behavior.

But there is also part of parenting that is purely and boringly practical. Consumer education is a parent's responsibility. Any kid from any barrio in the world can be taught what a credit card is, how interest works, and that it must be paid back -- and this can be taught every time a parent buys a pair of sneakers for their child. That's all the imagination and ambition that's required -- desire for a new pair of shoes.

I recommend Ms. Godfrey's book "Money Doesn't Grow On Trees," as a start. Do your kids know how much money you make? Do they know how much the house payment and other bills are, and what's left over? Do they participate in making decisions about money? Or does it just, well, "grow on trees"? Do they know how much a baby costs, and what that means in terms of fewer pairs of sneakers, dinners out, older cars? This is one of the greatest gifts a parent can give, along with that poetic and wonderful thing called imagination.

Perhaps it is never too late to teach this, starting with cutting off the financial aid until this couple participates in a budget and bank account monitored by the beneficent parent. If you give the money, it's your responsibility to watch it.

My opinion is not swayed by the protestations a few minutes before that this mother taught her son everything about money, birth control, etc. The point is, as she hints, that "connections" between choices and finances were not made in a very practical way. They are still not being made, completely.

Experience teaches. These young people have learned through much experience that helplessness pays the bills. When only responsibility does this, they will have learned.