Childhood Obesity Caused By Pollutants

Pregnant Women Exposed to Toxins Have Obese Kids

Jan 9, 2009 Uni Blake

Pregnant women who are exposed to pollutants have an increased risk of having obese children.

Childhood obesity continues to be a growing problem on a worldwide scale. Obese children tend to become obese adults typically developing type 2 diabetes and other metabolic disorders. The good news is that research into obesity has been on the rise with researchers scrambling to find the causes and ways to prevent and deal with this nutritional disorder. One cause that has gained in popularity is the inherited aspect of obesity. People inherit the disorder from their parents and this coupled with inactivity and bad eating habits increases the risk to becoming obese.

Smoking While Pregnant Linked to Obese Children

A study performed on a cohort of German children showed that the children of pregnant women who smoked past the fourth month of their pregnancy tended to be obese. Toschke AM, Koletzko B, Slikker W Jr, Hermann M, von Kries R. 2002, “Childhood obesity is associated with maternal smoking in pregnancy.” Eur J Pediatr 161:445–448.

Prenatal Exposure to Endocrine Disruptors Also Linked to Obese Children

Hormone or endocrine disruptors are known to have negative reproductive health effects in women. It has also been shown that exposure to these type of chemicals while pregnant can lead to obese children. This according to a study led by Newbold RR, Padilla-Banks E, Snyder RJ, Phillips TM, and Jefferson WN, “Developmental exposure to endocrine disruptors and the obesity epidemic.” Reprod Toxicol 23:290–296 2007.

Maternal Exposure to PCBs and Dioxins

Prenatal exposure to PCBs has been associated with many childhood disorders and diseases. According a recent study conducted by Stijn L. Verhulst, et al, “Intrauterine Exposure to Environmental Pollutants and Body Mass Index during the First 3 Years of Life” Environ Health Perspect 117:122–126 (2009) prenatal exposure to PCBs and dioxin-like compounds produced children with higher Body Mass Indexes (BMIs). The study took non-smoking pregnant women living in an environment where levels of the pollutants in question were higher than normal (industrial areas (combustion pollutants like dioxins), farming areas (where pesticides used) and a control areas (rural setting)). Children who were exposed intrauterine to the PCBs and Dioxins had higher BMIs.

How Pregnant Women Are Exposed to PCBs and Dioxins

These pollutants are commonly found in our environment, everybody has some level in of PCBs and dioxins in their body. Exposure can be through:

· Living in areas where there is high pesticide usage, such as fruit orchards that are regularly sprayed

· Being around industrial activity that uses combustion stacks

· Eating fish from contaminated waters, especially bottom feeders (eat smaller, leaner fish and younger fish)

· Eating animal products (meat and milk).

· Coming in contact with contaminated soils

· Burning trash and wood (such as forest fires)

Pregnant women need extra protection from environmental pollutants, take extra precautions to avoid exposure. Obese adults can rest easy knowing that they may not be 100 percent responsible for their obesity but can still work towards losing weight and a healthier lifestyle.

The copyright of the article Childhood Obesity Caused By Pollutants in Biotech/Pharmaceuticals is owned by Uni Blake. Permission to republish Childhood Obesity Caused By Pollutants in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Pollutants Linked to Childhood Obesity

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