Plastics Chemical Linked to Obesity in Kids

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Plastics Chemical Linked to Obesity in Kids

By By Barbara Bronson Gray

HealthDay Reporter, HealthDay

Jun. 23, 2012 8:50PM PDT

http://health..net/news/s/hsn/plastics-chemical-linked-to-obesity-in-kids

SATURDAY, June 23 (HealthDay News) -- It's hard to imagine a pacifier or a

rubber ducky making your child fat.

But new research suggests that chemicals called phthalates, which are found

in the plastics that pacifiers and toys are typically made of, may be linked

to higher rates of obesity in children.

The chemical, called di-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), is suspected of being

able to alter biological functions involved in fat metabolism. In the study,

children with the highest DEHP levels had nearly five times the chance of

being obese compared with those who had the lowest DEHP levels.

How could a chemical used to soften plastics trigger fat development in a

child?

" It may trigger the master regulator of fat creation and lipid metabolism, "

explained study co-author Dr. Mi-Jung Park, a pediatric endocrinologist and

professor at Inje University College of Medicine, in Seoul, South Korea.

DEHP may do two different things that increase fat development, Park said.

It may reduce the effect of androgen -- a male sex hormone -- which lowers

body-mass index (BMI). It may also disrupt thyroid function, which plays a

role in weight gain. Interfering with androgen or thyroid hormones can

affect appetite or a person's rate of metabolizing food, she explained.

Other studies have linked phthalates to breast growth in boys, reproductive

problems in men and low birth weight.

The researchers measured blood levels of DEHP in 204 children ranging from 6

to 13 years old; 105 were considered obese and 99 were of normal weight.

Children with a higher BMI, a measurement of body fat, had higher DEHP

levels. The increased risk of obesity with elevated DEHP levels was not

related to the amount of physical activity they got or their daily calorie

intake.

The study, scheduled for presentation Saturday at the Endocrine Society's

annual meeting in Houston, did not demonstrate a causal relationship between

blood levels of DEHP and obesity.

Park said parents should understand that phthalates are virtually

everywhere -- in food, water, plastic bags and packaging wraps, cosmetics,

lotions, shampoo and toys. Pregnant women, premature infants and young

children may be particularly sensitive to the chemical, she said. " Putting

hot water or hot food into a plastic container may be dangerous, " she added.

Johanna Congleton, senior scientist and toxicologist at the Environmental

Working Group in Washington, D.C., recommends avoiding exposure to

phthalates. " It's a good precautionary measure, and consumer product

manufacturers should phase out the use of such compounds, " she said.

Research presented at medical meetings should be viewed as preliminary until

published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.

More information

For more on phthalates, go to the Environmental Working Group.