Environmental chemicals might be silently sabotaging your health, gradually tipping the scales toward obesity. These chemical invaders, known as obesogens, weave a complex web of hormonal disruption, altering our metabolism and setting the stage for long-term weight gain.
What Are Obesogens?
Obesogens are chemicals that, when internalized or ingested, disrupt endocrine signaling. They interfere with the signaling of endocrine receptors including the glucocorticoid, estrogen, thyroid hormone, and androgen receptors. This interference takes place in various tissues and cell types, further affecting energy expenditure, intake, adiposity, and nutrient handling. Additionally, obesogens can alter metabolic rate and control food intake through their effects on the brain, muscles, gastrointestinal tract, liver, adipose tissue, and pancreas. These disruptions can reprogram the setpoint or sensitivity for developing obesity later in life, according to a 2024 article.
Dr. Sulagna Misra, a medical doctor and founder of Misra Wellness, told the Epoch Times that some endocrine disrupting chemicals also affect how the body releases insulin in response to the presence of glucose which can result in hormonal and metabolic syndrome or disturbances. Yet others may drive the body to accumulate fat. “They are pervasive and everywhere,” she says.
Dr Misra shared the following examples:
- Atrazine (found in certain gardening products as a herbicide) may affect the hypothalamus and pituitary gland and cause obesity and other diseases
- Pthalates interrupt testosterone hormone production. Testosterone is important for many things in men and also serves as a precursor for estrogen in some cases
- BPA has been found to act on the heart and cause cardiovascular disease and reduces fertility and egg viability in women
Transgenerational Effects of Obesogens
Obesogens not only contribute to the development of metabolic disturbances and obesity but also have the potential to epigenetically reprogram genetically inherited set-points for body composition and weight, according to a 2022 review. Critical development periods, including fetal development, early life, and puberty, are the most sensitive period for obesogen exposure. While subtle epigenetic changes may be detectable at birth, their effects might not become apparent until later in life. The latency between exposure and weight gain can span from months to decades, according to a 2024 article.
The proposal is not that obesogen exposure alone is the sole cause of the obesity pandemic. Instead, by affecting gene expression, obesogens alter the function of metabolic tissues, making individuals more sensitive to diet-induced weight gain and less responsive to weight loss. The authors of the 2024 article explains that if this integrated model is accepted, obesity could potentially be prevented by reducing exposure to obesogens in utero, early life, and throughout the lifespan.
“Based on the robust nature of the in vitro and animal model data on obesogens, the obesogen hypothesis/model of obesity should receive greater attention by the broader scientific community as a potential contributor to the obesity pandemic,” was the conclusion made at the Healthy Environment and Endocrine Disruptor Strategies workshop in September 2022. The aim of the workshop was to integrate the obesogens model into the thinking of mainstream clinical obesity and nutrition researchers.
Where Can Obesogens Be Found?
Obesogens can be found in various sources, and exposure can occur via air, water, food, skin contact, or dust inhalation, according to a 2024 article. These sources include:
- Environmental: household chemicals, plastics, insecticides, pesticides, DDT
- Food components: emulsifiers, preservatives, additives, trans fats, parabens, BHA, MSG
- Natural components: viruses, metals
- Solvents, furniture, and clothing protectants: flame retardants
- Non-stick coatings (PFAS)
- Plastics and can linings: bisphenols, phthalates
- Personal care products: parabens, phthalates
- Air pollutants: polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
- Pharmaceutical drugs and early-life antibiotics
How To Reduce/ Avoid Exposure
Dr. Misra explained that it’s very hard to avoid obesogens, since “a lot of these products have been banned in the US but are still found in containers, furniture, and even products we put on our bodies like lotions and makeup. However, growing your own food, using non-BPA or glass containers, drinking spring water or using glass water bottles, and being diligent about checking food and packaging labels can help limit exposure,” she said.
Other simple tips to incorporate, according to the 2024 article, include:
- Eating organic, fresh food
- Avoiding ultra-processed foods
- Using fragrance-free products
- Steering clear of plastics for heating or storing food
- Drinking purified water
- Avoiding nonstick cookware
The article also notes that ultimately, policy and regulatory action will be necessary to reduce the production of obesogenic chemicals.
Mpho Tshukudu, an Integrative & Functional Nutritionist, told The Epoch Times that eating whole, organic foods can help clear toxins from the body due to their high fiber, and phytonutrient content. She further recommends consuming locally grown and raised food whenever possible. Tshukudu explains that “toxins are stored in adipose tissue, so if consuming poultry or meat not sourced from grass-fed animals, it is advisable to trim off the fat. Additionally, for those with a higher body fat percentage, reducing it to a healthy level is beneficial.” She also suggests increasing the intake of sulfur-rich foods such as cruciferous vegetables, coriander, parsley, spirulina, and dandelion root tea. Avoid putting or microwaving hot foods or liquids in plastic containers, and engage in regular exercise to promote sweating.
The human body is dependent on hormones for a healthy endocrines system which controls many of our most essential biological functions like normal growth, fertility, and reproductions. “Minor disruptions can cause significant developmental and biological effects. Taking care to watch what we ingest and expose our bodies to is key to maintaining good health,” Lena Beal, registered dietician and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, told The Epoch Times.
A version of this article has been published by the Epoch Times.