Are household products making kids fat?

A fascinating article at Grist.com takes at look at how endocrine-disrupting chemicals like bisphenol A (BPA), flame retardants (PBDEs), PVC and phthalates are correlated to the obesity epidemic.

Can chemicals make us fat? Many scientists are starting to connect the dots that chemicals that mess with the delicate hormonal balance in the human body are indeed to blame for exploding rates of obesity, particularly in children and even babies.

Making the connection between the increased use of these chemicals and obesity is difficult since there are so many factors that contribute to obesity, including individuals’ diet and exercise. But one control group may be babies.

According to an article in Newsweek, Born to be Big:

[T]hese [other] causes cannot explain the ballooning of one particular segment of the population, a segment that doesn’t go to movies, can’t chew, and was never that much into exercise: babies. In 2006 scientists at the Harvard School of Public Health reported that the prevalence of obesity in infants under 6 months had risen 73 percent since 1980. “This epidemic of obese 6-month-olds,” as endocrinologist Robert Lustig of the University of California, San Francisco, calls it, poses a problem for conventional explanations of the fattening of America. “Since they’re eating only formula or breast milk, and never exactly got a lot of exercise, the obvious explanations for obesity don’t work for babies,” he points out. “You have to look beyond the obvious.”

Where are these chemicals and how can we avoid them? They are everywhere and in everything.

An article in Childrens Health Magazine called Your Big Fat House highlights just some of the sources in the typical home:

BEDROOM  Carpet (PBDEs), vinyl flooring (PVC), mattress (PBDEs), toys, (BPA), waterproof clothing  (Phthalates, PFOA)

FOYER Raincoats (phthalates), rain boots (phthalates), faux leather coats, shoes, purses, and briefcases (phthalates)

LAUNDRY ROOM PVC pipes, detergents, and dryer sheets (phthalates)

LIVING ROOM Carpet (PBDEs), air fresheners (phthalates), furniture (PBDEs), electronics (PBDEs)

BATHROOM Toothbrush (BPA), toothpaste, vinyl shower curtain, water from the shower comes through PVC pipes, soaps, shampoos, deodorants, creams, powders, and makeup (Phthalates), nail polish (Phthalates, PFOA)

KITCHEN Produce in the fridge (pesticides), meat in the freezer (PBDEs, PCBs, pesticides), canned food in the pantry (BPA), jars of peanut butter (phthalates), jars of tomato sauce (phthalates), jarred baby food (BPA), plastic cups, baby bottles, plates, and utensils (BPA)

Of course, it is impossible to avoid all these products. Avoiding these toxic chemicals just can’t be accomplished by adjusting a few habits, or buying a couple of different products. And the prospect of regulating these chemicals will be met with major resistance from big business. According to Grist:

These chemicals are in EVERYTHING. Truly everything. The “disruption” to manufacturers at every level is mind-numbing. We’re not talking about phasing out Freon here. This is about reformulating some of the fundamental ingredients to just about every major consumer item.

This isn’t a problem consumers can solve for themselves. Government regulation of these toxic chemicals is going to be critical.