Researchers didn’t see any differences by age groups. And, while the black children had higher levels of phthalates as a whole, the association with obesity happened at relatively low levels of exposure, Trasande said. The study used data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2008 nationwide testing of chemicals in people’s bodies.
It’s possible black children are simply more exposed, or they metabolize the chemicals differently, said Emily Barrett, a professor at the University of Rochester who studies exposure to environmental chemicals.
Many factors – including nutrition and stress – could alter how different children metabolize chemicals, said Jennifer Adibi, an epidemiology professor at the University of California, San Francisco.
In a study released late last year by Trasande and colleagues, another hormone disrupting chemical – bisphenol A – was linked to obesity in only white children.
Trasande controlled for diet, television watching, gender and age in the phthalate study. Pinning chemicals to weight gain is a challenge, but the study forces some new thinking about obesity, he said.
The next research step is to look at phthalate exposures from fetus to childhood to try to tease out whether the chemicals are contributing to obesity, he said.
Adibi said the findings are “interesting and scary.” While it’s not enough evidence to spur policy changes, she hopes it will reframe the conversations about risks to disadvantaged communities.
“This is another reason to increase awareness among low income, African American and Hispanic populations and let them know they’re at an increased risk of exposure to these chemicals and that we’re seeing these associations (with obesity),” Adibi said.
This article originally ran at Environmental Health News, a news source published by Environmental Health Sciences, a nonprofit media company.
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Add CommentThere is a diabetes crisis in all people, not just African Americans. The diabetes crisis is from food chemicalslike HFCS and Aspartame http://type2diabetesdietplan.blogspot.com/2013/01/high-blood-sugar-food-what-you-should.html
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisDon't know what HFCS is, but I've stayed clear of aspartame for years. The only sweeteners I use are honey & brown sugar. We get too many chemicals in our foods as it is
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt is touching that St. John, a PR suit, should come to
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisthe defense of her discretely bloated (yet innocent)
suzerains up in the chem lords humble palais. And
for this spokes-minion, utterly untainted by science,
to bravely conclude that "..NO conclusions.." can
be drawn, and then whip around with arachnid
speed and conclude that such "Attempts…are a
distraction…" leaves one breathless.
Since, overwhelmingly, what constitutes "important
issues" in the mainstream media is decided by such
gatekeepers, we are in good hands indeed.
If the correlation is true, I'd say look at lotion/moisturizers. Not only from the permeable nature of skin, but the sheer amount used. Before I went to college, I had no idea. It simply wasn't anything that I would have thought about. Obviously I had girlfriends that used moisturizers before bed or in winter, but I was truly shocked by the amount my teammates went through. Don't get me wrong, I understand why.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisgood post.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisgood post... thank you....
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishttp://www.medstorerx.com
<a href="http://www.medstorerx.com">Meds</a>
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt is nice to see people admitting that we are not all clones of a single person. Dietary guidelines based on white English ancestry people really do not work for anyone else. If you and your ancestors grew up eating monkey and cabbage, suddenly changing to wheat and potatoes and carrots isn't a good idea.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI strongly support making it a requirement that something be proven safe before it is unleashed on a vulnerable public.
@Tim May - learn to read you racist loser. These children aren't eating lotions and shampoo. I suppose you think us whites need to stop using plastic to avoid bisphenol A, and have some self control? I'd spit in your face but it would be a waste of perfectly good spit.
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