Scientists from Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) have found that prenatal exposure to various chemicals that disrupt the endocrine system may increase the risk of obesity in a child. The research was published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.
Endocrine disrupting chemicals are found in plastics, cosmetics, food and water. They can cross the placenta and disrupt fetal hormones, potentially increasing the risk of chronic disease later in life.
In a new study, researchers analyzed the body mass index (BMI) trajectory of nearly two thousand children from birth to age nine. The BMI indicator allows you to evaluate to what extent a person’s weight corresponds to his height and the presence of excess weight.
The analysis found a significant association between single exposure to several endocrine disruptors (hexachlorobenzene, 4-4′-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene, polychlorinated biphenyls, and perfluorononanoic acid) and smaller body size at birth and more rapid increases in BMI in later years. Different substances affected boys and girls differently.
The results mean that prenatal exposure to endocrine disruptors can cause a rapid increase in BMI and increase the risk of obesity in children. Since the study is the first to explore this connection, the results need to be rechecked with new experiments.
BMI early in life has a significant impact on long-term health, as overweight and obese children are more likely to gain excess weight in adulthood, increasing the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
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