Some seem to think so and many a spouse and significant other agree, I'm sure.

Turns out that an additive commonly found in plastics--including pacifiers--seems to be linked to childhood obesity. The chemicals in question are called phthalates and are also in items such as vinyl siding and toys.

The complexity of our world is rising at an amazing pace, and it's going to be increasingly tough to predict these kinds of phenomena until their effect is already widespread.