New research suggests that chemicals in plastic household items, such as soda bottles, yogurt cups, and freezer bags, may be contributing to the global obesity epidemic. See where the harmful substances that affect our metabolism are still hidden.
Obesity epidemic – causes
According to the World Health Organization, the number of obese people worldwide has tripled since 1975. WHO estimates that in 2016 over 1,9 billion adults were overweight. Of these people, 650 million were obese. Excessive body weight increases the risk of diseases such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, stroke and some types of cancer.
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Research suggests that factors such as dietary changes are not sufficient to explain the scale of the obesity epidemic and the rate at which it is spreading worldwide. One of the possible culprits is the effects of synthetic chemicals in our environment. They affect the endocrine system, which includes hormones that regulate appetite, metabolism and weight, among others. These include bisphenol A and phthalates, which are present in some plastics. They influence, among other things, human development and fertility. In turn, the latest research has shown that they can also promote obesity.
Further part below the video.
Plastic packaging and obesity. Findings of scientists
Plastics contain thousands of chemicals. Products made from them contain one or more polymers. However, manufacturers also add chemical fillers to achieve the desired properties. A 2019 study estimated that plastic food packaging alone could contain over 4 known substances that appear in chemical databases.
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However, biologists at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim suspected that there were many more hitherto unknown chemicals in plastic products. To find out, they performed a series of experiments. They used ethanol to extract chemicals from 34 everyday products, including yoghurt wrappers, freezer bags, vegetable trays, beverage bottles, and coffee cup lids. To find chemicals, they used a technique called high-resolution mass spectrometry, which identifies both known and unknown substances. They detected a total of 55 thousand. 300 chemical characteristics. They initially identified 629 substances that are already in databases, including 11 known to interfere with metabolism.
– It is very likely that bisphenol A, among others, causes metabolic disorders, says Dr. Johannes Völker. “This means that plastic chemicals other than the ones we know can contribute to overweight and obesity,” he adds.
Scientists say that chemical cocktails made of PVC and PUR products most likely favored the formation of fat cells, while those of PET, HDPE and PLA products were inactive. However, they emphasize that food packaging is not the only potential source of chemicals that disrupt metabolism. Substances can also enter the body through the skin – for example, from plastic shower slippers or by inhaling dust that has come into contact with plastic floors.
The strength of the extracted mixtures and our constant contact with plastics support the notion that Plastic chemicals can contribute to the obesity epidemic worldwide
– the scientists conclude.
The researchers admit, however, that the results are not conclusive because the experiments were performed with cells growing on dishes in the laboratory, not whole animals.
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