Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Research links common chemicals, plastics to obesity

Research links common chemicals to obesity - Yahoo! News:
2008.05.14
"Exposure in the womb to common chemicals used to make everything from plastic bottles to pizza box liners may program a person to become obese later in life...studies of mice showed animals exposed to even tiny amounts of the chemicals during development were fatter when they grew older compared with mice not exposed to the compounds..."We are talking about an exposure at very low levels for a finite time during development," said Jerry Heindel of the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences...Previous studies have linked these chemicals -- also found in water pipes -- to cancer and reproductive problems...One of the chemicals is called Bisphenol A, found in polycarbonate plastics. Past research has suggested it leaches from plastic food and drink containers...A similar effect occurred with perfluorooctanoic acid -- a greaseproofing agent used in products such as microwave popcorn bags. These animals were unusually small at birth then became overweight later in life...The chemicals appear to disrupt the endocrine system by altering gene and metabolic function involved in weight gain, said Bruce Blumberg, a University of California biologist...The result is the offspring store fat cells more efficiently, which makes them gain weight, he said. Blumberg studied tributylin, a chemical used in boat paint, plastic food wrap and as a fungicide on crops..."

More:

Endocrine Disruptors In Common Plastics Linked To Obesity Risk: Science Daily "
2008.05.14
“The findings from these studies suggest that susceptibility to obesity is developed in the womb or early in life and that exposure to a variety of common household chemicals can, probably along with foetal nutrition, play a role in increasing that susceptibility,”

What plastic is safe for bottles these days? #1,#2,#3,#4,#5,#6,#7? (link)


We might have heard the truth about endocrine disrupters like BPA years ago if it weren't for the amazingly successful, Exxon like, propaganda by various chemical lobbies and associations... that confused some rather weak minded researchers on the subject and definitely very weak minded journalists. Anyway, I'm glad that the importance of endocrine disrupters are finally being taken seriously by more researchers and journalists. When the history of this matter is written, I think the chemical industry will lumped in with tobacco and oil industries as to their malevolence. The others to blame are those in government that think that all regulation is bad. Not an intelligent position and since most at capital hill aren't fools ( I know debatable ), then they are likely knaves to varying degrees if they aren't for a European set of standards where something has to be proven safe before released on the public. In the US we have to prove something is unsafe. See? Burden of proof is everything... and we conveniently took it off of the chemical industry. Works well for them. How's it working for us?

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