In part 2, Dr. Susan Katz, Chair of the Environmental Health Work Group of the Oregon’s Physicians For Social Responsibility (PSR) outlines some of the basic steps to avoid consuming products that contain “obesogens”, chemicals suspected of causing overweight and obesity in humans.
List of Suspected Obesogens
Practice Prevention, Obesogens -pdf (courtesy of the Collaborative On Health and the Environment.)
Animal studies
- Bisphenol A (BPA) (found in some plastics,
carbonless copy paper and can linings) - Perfluoroalkyl compounds (used in nonstick
cookware and water-repellent and stain-resistant
fabrics) - Organotins (used in agriculture and industry, used
as wood preservatives in marine areas) - Dithiocarbamates (found in cosmetics and
agricultural products) - Nonylphenol (found in cosmetics and household
cleaners) - Fine particulate matter (air pollutant from burning
fuels and wood, from road dust, aerosols and other
sources) - Organophosphate pesticides (used for termite
control, in home garden products, and in some pet
collars) - Atrazine (pesticide used in agriculture that can
contaminate drinking water) - Nicotine
Human studies
- DDE (a breakdown product of DDT, a persistent
pesticide that is now banned) - PCBs (persistent chemicals used as lubricants and
flame retardants, now banned) - HCB (a persistent fungicide, now banned)
- Oxychlordane (a persistent pesticide, now banned)
- Beta-hexachlorocyclohexane (a persistent
insecticide, now banned) - Dioxins and furans (persistent chemicals formed by
incineration of PVC plastic and other substances) - Maternal smoking during pregnancy
Both animal and human studies
- PBDEs (flame retardants that are still used in
consumer products) - Phthalates (found in some plastics)
Additional Resources:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
National Biomonitoring Program Summary information on most of the chemicals found in the human biomonitoring samplings (Updated March 2013) - The Collaborative on Health And The Environment (CHE):
Portal to Science A comprehensive listing of resources, and free access to up-to-date information about individual environmental toxicants. - Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility
The Environmental Health Work Group seeks to educate healthcare professionals and the general public on environmental health threats, and provides information to help protect individuals and communities from exposure to toxic substances. - Environmental Working Group:
Top 50 rankings of foods containing pesticide residues from worst to best for popular fresh produce items. The top 5 on their list for containing the highest levels of pesticide residues:
- Apples
- Strawberries
- Grapes
- Celery
- Peaches
- BPA free Canned Food List (blog)
- A Toothless Law on Toxic Chemicals (New York Times)
- Warnings From a Flabby Mouse (Nicholas Kristof, New York Times)
- Safe Chemicals Act of 2013: Led by Senators Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
- US National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health
Obesogens: An Environmental Link to Obesity (Environmental Health Perspectives) - Yale Rudd Center For Food Policy & Obesity
Weight Bias & Stigma: “Despite increased attention to the obesity epidemic, little has been done to stop the bias and discrimination that obese children and adults face every day.” - Study: Physicians Less Likely to ‘Bond’ with Overweight Patients (John Hopkins Medical) “Lack of empathy may lead to ineffective care, disregarded weight-loss counseling, and patient dissatisfaction.”
- Chemicals That Promote Obesity Down the Generations (NPR Living On Earth, January 2013)
A terrific radio interview with Bruce Bloomberg, professor of developmental and cell biology at the University at Irvine, about the emerging evidence of a class of chemicals called “obesogens”, the term his team coined in 2006.