Endocrine Disruptors And Obesity, Nature Reviews, Endocrinology, September 2015

A substantial body of evidence suggests that a subclass of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), which interfere with endocrine signalling, can disrupt hormonally regulated metabolic processes, especially if exposure occurs during early development. These chemicals, so-called ‘obesogens’ might predispose some individuals to gain weight despite their efforts to limit caloric intake and increase levels of physical activity.

Although the obesogen hypothesis is less than 10 years old, the obesogenic properties of ~20 environmental chemicals are already known. Given the difficulty in treating obesity, the obesogen hypothesis opens the door to reducing the incidence of this global health problem by focusing on its prevention through reducing early-life chemical exposures.

These chemicals, endocrine disruptors, also predispose individuals to diabetes … by way of weight gain and through more direct mechanisms. We can prevent these outcomes by limiting our exposure. Will we?