Are Toxins Making Us Fat?
Are industrial chemicals and environmental pollutants to blame for the obesity epidemic or are we just eating too much?
A small but growing number of researchers believe that environmental pollutants and industrial chemicals are to blame for the obesity epidemic. This, of course, bucks the conventional wisdom that our increasing girth is simply the result of eating too much and https://getfitguy.quickanddirtytips.com/ too little. For those who have struggled unsuccessfully to according to the standard prescription (“eat less, move more”), this latest theory offers a sort of vindication—if not a ready solution. But what’s the evidence to support the idea that chemicals are the true cause of our ever-expanding waistlines?
It’s not enough to say that the rise in obesity correlates to the increasing use of industrial chemicals. Although this may be true, the rise in obesity correlates to a lot of things. It also correlates to a dramatic increase in the sale of organic produce and other products. But there is more evidence.
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Pesticides Make Rats Fat
Bruce Blumberg, a researcher at University of California, Irvine, researches the effects of chemicals that are widely used in plastics and pesticides. He’s found that rats exposed to these chemicals have more and bigger fat cells than rats that are not—even though both rats eat the same diet. Blumberg believes that the presence of these chemicals (he calls them “obesogens”) in our environment could explain why we’ve gotten so much fatter.
Read more about Blumberg’s research in the Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/03/whats-really-making-us-fat/254087/2/?single_page=true
This is a very interesting finding—but it doesn’t quite close the case. First of all, things don’t always work in humans the way they do in lab rats. Secondly, these rats are being exposed to levels much higher than anything we encounter in our environment. While I think we should do whatever we can to reduce our exposure to industrial pollutants, it remains to be seen whether the amount of chemicals that the average citizen is exposed to is enough to affect our metabolism or fat cells—and if so, how big that effect might be.
Why Are We Fat? A Simpler Explanation
The idea that how much you weigh is simply a factor of how many calories you take in versus how many you burn is currently unpopular—it’s seen by many as overly simplistic. Then again, the principle of Occam’s Razor states that the simplest explanation for any phenomenon is the most likely one.
Maybe Both Sides Are Right
Media coverage tends to cast the issue as a fight between experts who believe that calories don’t matter and those who insist that they are all that matter. A recent article by Kristin Wartman in set the stage like this:
“Researchers believe that [industrial chemicals]…may be altering the way our bodies store fat and regulate our metabolism. But…many scientists, nutritionists, and doctors are still firm believers in the energy balance model. A debate has ensued…”
To me, it seems perfectly plausible that exposure to industrial chemicals could play some role in our metabolisms…but it’s rather unlikely that our increased caloric intake plays no role. And, to be honest, despite how they are quoted in the press, I don’t think the scientists on either side of this “debate” are seriously arguing that obesity has one and only one cause. The real debate is how big an impact the various factors might have—and what we can reasonably do about them.
How to Reduce Your Exposure to Toxins
Whether or not you believe that industrial pollutants are making us fatter, I think there are plenty of other good reasons to avoid them. Unfortunately, it’s not that easy. You can reduce your exposure by /health-fitness/healthy-eating/are-organic-foods-worth-the-cost whenever possible, making sure that any /health-fitness/healthy-eating/are-steam-bag-veggies-safe-microwave that comes into contact with your food or water is https://www.self.com/fooddiet/blogs/nutritiondata/2010/01/bpa-which-foods-are-safe.html, and using non-toxic chemicals in and around your home.
Get more tips on how to reduce chemical exposure in my episodes on /health-fitness/healthy-eating/which-foods-are-highest-in-pesticides and /health-fitness/trends-fads/how-to-detoxify-your-body.
But the sad truth is that industrial chemicals permeate our environment and it’s virtually impossible to avoid them completely. Advocating for tighter regulations or bans on certain chemicals might be an even more effective way to reduce your exposure.
In the meantime, our inability to completely avoid industrial pollutants does not mean that we are all doomed to be obese. Whatever role these toxins may play, I think their impact is secondary. When it comes to the fight against flab, making smart choices about what and how much you eat is still your most powerful weapon. And fortunately, those are factors that you can control.
Check out my book for 10 ways to trim the fat and achieve your ideal weight without going hungry.
Image courtesy of Shutterstock
About the Author
Monica Reinagel is a board-certified licensed nutritionist, author, and the creator of one of iTunes’ most highly ranked health and fitness podcasts. Her advice is regularly featured on the TODAY show, Dr. Oz, NPR, and in the nation’s leading newspapers, magazines, and websites. Do you have a nutrition question? Call the Nutrition Diva listener line at 443-961-6206. Your question could be featured on the show.
