Obesity is often talked about strictly in terms of diet and exercise, or “calories in” versus “calories out.”
But a growing body of research suggests there’s another factor impacting Americans’ expanding waistlines that may make it nearly impossible for some people to lose weight, despite leading a healthy lifestyle.
That factor is obesogens, which are environmental chemicals that impact the function of your body’s hormones, triggering weight gain and likely also chronic diseases.
Where are Obesogens Found?
The problem with obesogens is that they are virtually everywhere, including in your food and food packaging, water, home and personal care products. A short list of some of the most common includes:
- Bisphenol-A (BPA), found in certain plastics, canned foods, soda cans, some tooth sealants and receipt paper
- Phthalates, found in vinyl flooring, furniture, upholstery, mattresses and wall coverings, food packaging, air fresheners and personal care products
- Chemical pesticides in food and water, such as atrazine and DDE
- Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), found in non-stick cookware and food packaging (such as microwave popcorn)
- Synthetic growth hormones in meat
- Soy (such as soy infant formula and soy milk, as well as conventionally raised chicken, beef and even farm-raised fish fed soy-enriched diets), which contains the natural hormone-mimicking chemiclas genistein and daidzein
- MSG (monosodium glutamate), which is a dietary obesogen because it’s been linked to weight gain
Most obesogens are also endocrine disrupters, which have been linked to an increase in body size in humans.[i] Your fat tissue actually acts as an endocrine organ that releases hormones that control your appetite and metabolism. Obesogens likely impact body weight not only through endocrine disruption, but through numerous mechanisms, including:[ii]
- Affecting the number of fat cells or the size of fat cells
- Altering hormones that affect appetite, satiety, food preferences and energy metabolism
- Epigenetic changes to DNA, which impact when and how genes are expressed without actually altering your genetic code; epigenetic changes are often passed on to future generations
Were You Primed to be Obese While Still in the Womb?
When exposure occurs in early life, or in utero, the impact appears to be particularly severe. As Newsweek reported:[iii]
“They [obesogens] act on genes in the developing fetus and newborn to turn more precursor cells into fat cells, which stay with you for life. And they may alter metabolic rate, so that the body hoards calories rather than burning them, like a physiological Scrooge.”
There are up to 20 chemicals shown to cause weight gain from developmental exposure, according to National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) researchers, [iv] which could essentially “prime” your body to make more fat cells, encouraging greater body fat accumulation as you get older and making it harder to lose weight.
But a growing number of obesogens have also been found to impact adults. Studies have shown, for instance, that adults with higher levels of obesogen chemicals in their blood are more likely to be obese.[v]
Even Very Low Doses May be a Problem…
In some cases, though, even very low levels of exposure to these chemicals over time may be having an impact on your weight, even more so than a single, large exposure. For instance, BPA has been found to impact fat cells in rodents at levels 1,000 times below the one regulatory agencies deem safe for humans. Writing in Environmental Health Perspectives, researchers explained:[vi]
“Receptors typically respond to very low levels of hormone, so it makes sense that they may be activated by low levels of an endocrine mimic, whereas high levels of a chemical may actually cause receptors to shut down altogether, preventing any further response. This is known as “receptor downregulation.”
As a result, some endocrine disruptors have greater effects at low than at high doses; different mechanisms may be operating.”
Can You Eliminate Environmental Obesogens?
Considering obesogens have been found in everything from microwave popcorn packaging to baby bottles to household dust, it might seem pointless to try to eliminate them. And the truth is, you probably can’t get rid of them completely. However, you can play it safe by avoiding some of the known obesogen sources by:
- Eating organic foods as much as possible
- Filtering your home’s water
- Replacing plastics with glass or stainless steel (for food storage, eating and cooking utensils, plates, cups, etc.)
- Avoiding canned foods and soda (choose glass jars over cans, or opt for fresh, whenever possible)
- Choose natural, untreated fabrics for clothing and upholstery
- Use natural, chemical-free alternatives for personal care items (shampoo, body lotion, deodorant, fragrances, etc.)
Give Your Body Some Extra “Oomph” to Lose Weight…
If it seems like the deck is stacked against you losing weight, you’re right — it absolutely is. You can help to “level the playing field” by giving your body’s natural “youth hormones” (HGH, or human growth hormone) a boost…
HGH production begins to steadily decline by the time you reach your early 30s. Around this same time, you probably find you “can’t eat the way you used to,” and losing weight becomes much harder. As your HGH declines, all of the following occurs:
- Your metabolism slows down
- You pack on adipose tissue (FAT)
- Your organs shrivel
- Your aerobic activity decreases
- Your muscles shrink
Supplementing with HGH has been shown to lead to a 14.4 percent reduction in fat, and a nearly 9 percent increase in lean body mass in just six months[vii] — but you don’t want to opt for synthetic HGH when you can get it naturally.
ThinMist™ is a 100% natural way to safely boost your pituitary gland’s NATURAL release of HGH ‘youth hormones’… using a complex series of 7 known ‘HGH precursors.’ You simply take ThinMist™ three times each day by spraying it under your tongue, and as the ingredients slowly build up in your system, your body NATURALLY begins releasing more youthful levels of HGH, one of your body’s most powerful fat burners to boost your metabolism and help you melt away fat.
