“Obesogens” and Plastics Myth

“Media Ignores New Studies Finding No Link Between Phthalates and Obesity,” by Center for Accountability in Science. Despite a robust $20 billion weight-loss industry, Americans can’t seem to lose weight and keep it off. Instead of blaming cuts to recess, increased sedentary lifestyles, and consuming too many calories, researchers have come up with a new theory: chemicals are making us fat. This theory, known as the “obesogen hypothesis” was coined in 2006 and is the basis for millions of dollars in grants from the National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) to researchers searching for links between common chemicals and obesity. The research is still very new and is very far from conclusive. Yet, despite little firm evidence linking chemicals to obesity NIEHS published a fact sheet this month warning consumers to reduce their exposure to “possible obesogens” by avoiding plastics in the microwave or products with fragrance. Read more.