Are BPA and Phthalates Making Us Fat?
Well, probably not all on their own—generally weight is influenced by a variety of factors including diet, exercise, sleep and genetics. But a new study has linked the ever-controversial BPA (found in cans, among other things), along with certain phthalates commonly used in your beauty products, to obesity. From Environmental Health News:
Researchers identified two common environmental chemicals – bisphenol A and benzyl butyl phthalate – that can modulate the signals controlling the number of fat cells produced and the uptake and storage of fats in those cells.
Cute right? Especially since these hormone disruptors are already tied to a host of other terrible things. Canada is looking to ban BPA, and Europe has already eliminated the phthalates in question from their beauty products. So what gives America? Would you support a ban?
Super cool can image via National Geographic
I would support a BPA-ban but what’s making America fat is all the crap consumed on a daily basis. If more Americans would get back to eating real, whole foods, obesity rates would drop substantially – with or without phthlates and BPA. Put down those Twinkies and fries people, have some broccoli or an apple and then see what your waistline looks like in a few weeks ;)
I would definitely support a ban. There’s no question that we have an obesity epidemic. And, there’s no way to know what proportion of it is directly or indirectly caused by the flood of chemicals that lurk in processed food and toxic packaging. The average American man, woman and child are bombarded with chemically altered food every day, everywhere -at the supermarket, at school, in restaurants, even in the hospital cafeteria. How did this come to be, and why do we allow it? Let’s not blame obese people for their weight problems, any more than we would blame people for developing cancer. Our culture is built on food that isn’t really food – and agribusiness, processed food designers, and the advertising media, as well as our impotent FDA, all bear the responsibility for the damage it has done to America’s health.
It’s more complicated than just putting the Twinkie down. This is not a black and white issue. I have a large circle of friends who demonstrate all the gray areas. Some of my friends eat tons of high calorie junk food and do not exercise, yet are super thin. Then I have friends who exercise vigorously and eat “clean”, nutritious foods. Some in those group are thin but many are not. Also, some of my thin healthy friends have children who are struggling with diabetes, obesity, and precocious puberty despite being very conscientious about their children’s diet and activity level. I believe the toxins in our environment are playing havoc with our hormones. The evidence is there. It’s easy to be smug and judgmental when you are thin and have thin, perfect children. But when your 5-year-old starts puberty you might start to feel like something more sinister than calories is making your family sick.
Stancie -
That’s a simple approach to a complex problem and really doesn’t work. The amount of chemicals we’re exposed to probably plays a significant role in our weight problems and the “obesity epidemic”. Also, there’s more to weight than “twinkies and fries” – emotional, mental, and physical – and anyone who’s struggled with any of those problems knows that.
Remember to buy that broccoli organic and peel that apple. The amount of pesticides/herbicides in both might be adding a pound or two to your waistline.
This is a little OT, but along the same lines. For the last year, a good friend of mine (married, double income household, one child) has fallen on very tough times (like so many), to the point where she has a choice between feeding her family ramen, or feeding them nothing at all. Recently, she took her 6 year old daughter for her yearly checkup, and afterwards the doctor very kindly asked if she had a change in her finances. Turns out, while although her daughter was technically healthy and within the normal height/weight ratios, her BMI had skyrocketed. The doctor said she has been seeing this tenfold in her profession, to the point where girls are developing breast buds as early 5 years old. Needless to say, this was a huge eye opener for my friend, and is making some difficult adjustments to rectify the situation.
All of this is old news, I suppose, but it really hits close to home when it actually is happening to someone you know.
Hello fellow commenters!
I appreciate your thoughts and “hear” your concerns. I share the same thoughts and concerns as you. You are correct, I grossly oversimplified the issue in my previous comment. I suppose it is because I see (and am asked by) so many people seeking reasons (other than an obvious one) and making excuses for our very sad obesity epidemic when there is a way to help the issue that is tangible, but often ignored. A scientific formula that works – eat real, whole, healthy food, reduce your portion sizes and burn more calories than you are eating and there is likely no way you won’t lose weight. Sure, there are many more factors that contribute to weight issue like emotions and toxic exposure, but I advocate education and taking ownership over one’s health and making positive changes to help reverse this problem. It can be done – with education and action.
Unfortunately many want to disregard it (eating healthy & exercising) and blame something else. I am not blaming overweight people for not knowing what “healthy” is because our culture has a highly skewed perception of what it is and many have never been taught how to eat healthy or what foods are or aren’t. I used to be overweight and for me it was because I was stuffing my emotions with food and I had an intense addiction to sugar. It wasn’t until I started to learn about what “healthy” food actually is, that I gained control over my waistline. The simple formula does work and I have yet to see it not work for people who follow it. I have helped others lose weight, even when they were using BPA-lined soup cans and phthalates-filled fragrances. Yes, of course I wish we would all stop using those things and I do my best to educate others about how toxins can affect health, but to get back to the point of this post – it was about BPA and phthalates and whether those things make us fat. While they may contribute to it in some way, there is a much larger elephant in the room that should be dealt with first, or ideally, simultaneously. The problem with this is that it is often overwhelming for most to try to tackle toxins in all areas of their life, so my recommendation would be if you are trying to lose weight: focus on what you can control first – what you put in your mouth. Read labels and as Michael Pollan wrote: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants”.
I definitely realize our American culture has contributed to the way food is created and consumed. I really do. I have struggled with weight myself and have learned an enormous amount over the years about what “makes us fat” which is what this article is about. I am a huge proponent of educating others about what we put in our mouths and on our bodies. I am very concerned about health and about eliminating harmful toxins from our food and products we apply to our skin and spend a great deal of time helping educate others on this topic. I definitely understand this is not a black and white issue, though I believe some want to make it much more complicated than it is (the Americans-being-the-most-obese-country-in-the-world issue).
I wasn’t referring to illness – I was simply addressing the issue of weight with regards to BPA and phthalates. As I mentioned previously, I would absolutely support a ban, because studies have shown that they are not healthy substances. But are they “making us fat” as this article questions?! I think before we blame those two, we need to look at what we’re eating. And yes, it would be ideal if that broccoli and apple were organic :) I’m a huge advocate of organic!!
I’m Canadian, and while I’m super excited about the proposed BPA-ban, there is still so much to be done here to make our products healthier. I’m a University student, and while I’ve started eating organic, I’ve had to pick and choose what I buy organic, because it’s just so darn expensive. Making healthy food less expensive and taxing the heck out of McDonalds would definitely contribute to slimmer waists, as far as I’m concerned.
Might I add that it’s great to see discussion between thoughtful and intelligent women! Makes me happy. And Alyssa, I would totally support a McDonalds tax. :)