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Motherhood in Western Europe

Insights from Western European Mothers

The changing face of motherhood — Western Europe

The accompanying reports combine a review of existing literature with an analysis of original quantitative data derived from a poll of 9,582 mothers from 12 countries in Western Europe, making it one of the largest studies of this kind ever conducted

Child Obesity and Health

An analysis of the latest available data from the Health Survey for England (HSE)

Child Obesity and Health — download the full report in pdf format

In this ‘National Childhood Obesity Week’, the SIRC report, Children, obesity and heath: Recent trends, holds up a true mirror, accurately reflecting the trend towards slimmer, healthier children. more

The Future of Freemasonry

An examination of the role of Freemasonry in the 21st century

Freemasonry

This report is, as far as we know, an account of the first ever study that has been commissioned by Freemasons from a non-Masonic body. None of the SIRC members involved in the project are Freemasons, a fact that evoked surprise and welcome in equal measure from the Lodge members we met. more

The Changing Face of Motherhood

Insights from three generations of mothers

Motherhood

The report seeks to answer some specific questions about the changing face of motherhood and determine the extent to which modern ‘solutions’ to motherhood are more or less beneficial than the solutions of the past. more

Naming and Praising Awards – October 2002

A SIRC Naming and Praising Award goes to the nutritionist and journalist, Amanda Ursell for her thoughtful and balanced piece in the Daily Telegraph Can monosodium glutamate harm your eyesight?

Ursell casts her critical eye over a report in the New Scientist that linked the food additive monosodium glutimate to the destruction of retinal cells in lab rats. This, the report suggested may be contributing to the high levels of normal tension glaucoma in the peoples of eastern Asia.

Ursell should be congratulated for looking beyond the headline and scrutinising certain aspects of the study's design and a number of its conclusions. She correctly points out that:

So, was the headline in the New Scientist a fair reflection of the report? In Amanda Ursell's own words:

"It sounds plausible, until you take a closer look at the facts."

29 October 2002