Is BPA Behind The Global Obesity Epidemic?
Obesity is developing at an alarming rate even in developing
countries. Maybe the global obesity epidemic has nothing to do with
eating too much food. Research suggests the problem may be rooted in
your food's packaging.
A Kaiser Permanente study has found that
girls between 9 and 12 years of age with higher-than-average levels of
bisphenol-A (BPA) in their urine had DOUBLE the risk of being obese
compared to girls with lower levels of BPA.
The study published in the journal PLOS ONE
confirms findings from earlier animal studies that high BPA levels
could increase the risk of overweight and obesity. Researchers looked
at 1,326 male and female children in grades 4 to 12 at three Shanghai
schools.
According to the Environmental Working Group,
BPA is an industrial chemical used to make clear, rigid,
shatter-resistant plastic used in food and drink containers like the
epoxy coatings lining most food and beverage cans. Other BPA sources
include PVC piping, plastic dinnerware, compact disks, toys, dental
sealants, and medical devices. It's found in all currency throughout
the world as well as cash register receipts issued on thermal paper.
In
the Shanghai study girls between 9 and 12 years old who had
higher-than-average BPA in their urine (2 micrograms per liter or
greater) had twice the risk of having a body weight in
the top 10th percentile for girls of their age. Those with levels of
more than 10 micrograms per liter had five times the risk of being obese.
