Could the Plastic Chemical BPA be Making People Obese?
At last check, more than 40% of US adults over the age of 20 are obese, an astounding number that is most often blamed on what is known as the “standard American diet” (SAD) and inactivity. But more research suggests there may be more to it – particularly that the presence of bisphenol-A, a chemical found in plastic drink and food containers, could be contributing to the phenomena.
A study published in PLoS ONE in 2013 revealed that school-age children in grades 4 to 12 who had higher levels of BPA were more likely to be obese. But could we blame BPA for our increasing waistlines? While it certainly isn’t a primary factor, some seem to think it’s factor enough for concern.
BPA is an endocrine disrupting industrial chemical used in the production of rigid plastic materials, most often found in food and drink packaging. It lines the inside of canned foods and can also be found in plastic dinnerware, toys, and dental sealants.
Previous research has indicated we all have BPA in our bodies, because of its prevalence in our modern world. And the effects this compound could be having inside us are largely a mystery.
Read: How to Naturally Reverse the Effects of BPA
This study found girls between the ages of 9 and 12 who had higher than average BPA concentration in their urine had a two-fold risk of having body weight in the top 10th percentile for their age. Those girls had 2 micrograms of BPA per liter of urine, or more.
But for those with 10 mcg per liter, their risk of obesity was five times greater.
“Among the girls studied, 36% of those with a higher-than-average BPA were overweight or obese compared with 21% of those with a lower-than-average BPA,” reports Margie King at GreenMedInfo.com.
It’s believed the hormone disrupting qualities of BPA could play a role in the obesity of girls, specifically.
Authors of the study surmise that the compound could promote early puberty and weight gain during prepubescent years. They also think it could increase insulin sensitivity by suppressing adiponectin.
Here are 7 other nasty effects of BPA.
This isn’t the first study to connect BPA with an increased risk of obesity. Years ago, researchers with NYU School of Medicine found a link between high levels of BPA exposure and obesity in white children, making them five times more likely to be obese compared to those with lower BPA levels.
BPA’s endocrine disrupting effects are widely known, but this could be a case of the chicken and the egg, where it’s hard to determine which came first.
Children who eat large amounts of processed and packaged foods – those most likely containing BPA – are also more likely to be overweight, and in that case it wouldn’t be the BPA causing obesity, but the food within the BPA packages.
