Why do some people gain weight so
fast and tough to control? Conventional wisdom believes that overeating and
lack of exercise are the root causes. It may be true but there’s more to it
than just overeating. There has to be something to blame on my weight
gain. A culprit that is lurking in our life, yet we know nothing about or never
thought it would affect one’s weight.
Obesogens are catching the eyes of researchers in finding why many people, at
the start of birth, get fatter and heavier. Obesogens are chemical compound, in
particular, environmental chemical compound, that disrupts the normal
metabolism of lipids in our body and eventually lead to potential
diabetes.
According to Wikipedia - Obesogens are foreign chemical compounds that disrupt normal
development and balance of lipid metabolism, which in some cases, can lead to
obesity. Obesogens may be functionally defined as chemicals that
inappropriately alter lipid homeostasis and fat storage, change metabolic set
points, disrupt energy balance or modify the regulation of appetite and satiety
to promote fat accumulation and obesity.
There are many diverse proposed mechanisms through which obesogens
can meddle with the body's adipose tissue biology. Obesogens have been detected
in the body both as a result of intended administration of obesogenic chemicals
in the form of pharmaceutical drugs such as diethylstilbestrol, selective
serotonin reuptake inhibitor, and thiazolidinedione and as a result of
unintentional exposure to environmental obesogens such as tributyltin,
bisphenol A, diethylhexylphthalate, and perfluorooctanoate. Emerging data from
laboratories around the world suggests that other chemicals will be confirmed
as falling under this proposed classification in the near future, and that
there may be some serious biological effects due to exposure to these chemicals
that still remain undiscovered. Till now, 20 chemicals have been found
responsible for making one fat.
Fructose, a common name for corn syrup, is found on sweetened
foods. There is a research study that taking fructose will induce consumer to
eat more. Suspected possible candidates of obesogen are dioxin, fructose, DDT,
monosodium glutamate (MSG), nicotine, biphenol, DES, PCB, many others. So far,
there are around 30-40 suspected endocrine disruptive compounds in our
environment and many kids who were born and at the early stage of their
childhood development, became obese. Clinical studies show evidence that their
obesity was highly linked to exposure to obesogen when they were conceived.
That's why pregnant women are advised to eat organic foods and stay away from
chemicals.
There are many different ways in which obesogenic drugs and
chemicals can act in order to disrupt the body's adipose tissue biology. It can
alter the action of metabolic sensors in which obesogens mimic metabolic
ligands acting to either block or upregulate hormone receptors; dysregulation
of sex steroid synthesis, in which they alter the ratio of sex hormones leading
to changes in their control of lipid balance; and finally, changes in the
central integration of energy balance including the regulation of appetite,
satiety in the brain and the reprogramming of metabolic set points.
While obesogens can be introduced to the body intentionally via
administration of obesogenic pharmaceuticals, exposure can also occur through
chemical exposure to obesogens found in the environment such as organotins by
consuming contaminated seafood, agricultural products, and drinking water as
well as from exposure to leaching from plastics and xenobiotics would be BPA
from polycarbonate plastics, phthalate plasticizers used to soften PVC plastics
to name a few.
People are exposed
to obesogens on a daily basis like water bottles, microwaveable popcorn,
nonstick pans, shower curtains and etc without even knowing the effect. We wonder
why gaining weight is easier than losing weight with no answer to come up with.
We interact with them on a daily basis, unkowingly,
at work, school and home without knowing the consequences to our health because
it is convenient. Are we feeding our body with obesogens unintentionally?
Bisphenol-A (BPA) is
an industrial chemical and organic compound that has been used in the
production of plastics and resins for over a half-century. It is used in
products such as toys, medical devices, plastic food and beverage containers,
shower curtains, dental sealants and compounds, and register receipts.[51] BPA
has been shown to seep into food sources from containers or into the body just
by handling products made from it. Certain researchers suggest that BPA
actually decreases the fat cell count in the body, but at the same time
increasing the size of the ones remaining; therefore, no difference in weight
is shown, and an individual is even likely to gain more.
High-fructose corn
syrup (HFCS) is found in a good majority of products on grocery store shelves.
It is used as a food and drink sweetener, and is an obesogen. Acting on insulin
and leptin in the body, HFCS potentially increases appetite and fat production.
Nicotine is the
chemical found in tobacco products and certain insecticides. As an obesogen,
nicotine mostly acts on prenatal development after maternal smoking occurs. A
strong association has been made between maternal smoking and childhood
overweight/obesity, with nicotine as the single causal agent.
Arsenic is a
semi-metallic element found in and on most naturally occurring substances on
Earth. It can be found in the soil, ground water, air, and in small
concentrations in food. Arsenic has many applications such as in the production
of insecticides, herbicides, pesticides and electronic devices. The development
of diabetes has been linked to arsenic exposure from drinking water and
occupational contact.
Pesticides are
substances used to prevent, destroy, repel or mitigate pests, and they have
been used throughout all of recorded history. Some pesticides persist for short
periods of time and some for long periods of time which are considered
persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Several cross-sectional studies have
shown pesticides as obesogens, linking them to obesity, diabetes and other morbidities.
Pharmaceutical drugs
are also potentially obesogens. From 2005-2008, 11% of Americans aged 12 and
over took antidepressant medications. Certain antidepressants, known as
selectively serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), are potentially adding to
the almost 100 million obese individuals in the U.S. A key function of SSRI
antidepressants is to regulate serotonin reuptake transporter (SERT) which can
affect food intake and lipid accumulation leading to obesity.
Organotins such as tributyltin
(TBT) and triphenyltin (TPT) are endocrine disruptors that have been shown to
increase triglyceride storage in adipocytes. Although they have been widely
used in the marine industry since the 1960s, other common sources of human
exposure include contaminated seafood and shellfish, fungicides on crops and as
antifungal agents used in wood treatments, industrial water systems and
textiles. Organotins are also being used in the manufacture of PVC plastics and
have been identified in drinking water and food supplies.
Perfluorooctanoic
acid (PFOA) is a surfactant used for reduction of friction, and it is also used
in nonstick cookware. PFOA has been detected in the blood of more than 98% of
the general US population. It is a potential endocrine disruptor. Animal
studies have shown that prenatal exposure to PFOA is linked to obesity when
reaching adulthood.
The most recent
research suggests avoiding the use of plastic containers, air fresheners,
non-stick pans, pre-packaged foods, and eating more organic foods.
More research is still needed on the topic of obesogens as the
majority has been inconclusive. Research directed towards understanding
associations between environmental exposures and type 1 diabetes in particular,
is considered a critical data gap[according to whom?] that can be filled in by
public health researchers and practitioners. The specific roles of factors such
as genetics and the different physical manifestations of obesity for example,
need to be incorporated in the design of these studies.
Would it be better to cook our own food, grow our own garden to
help us take care of our health better?
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