Pin It
MNN.COM›Health›

Fitness & Well-Being

5 ways to avoid chemicals that make you fat

Certain toxins in your food can contribute to weight issues.

By Katherine ButlerFri, Oct 29 2010 at 8:43 PM EST
 8

large hamburger, french fries DOUBLE WHAMMY: Meals like this contribute to weight problems in more ways than one. (Photo: lifeontheedge/Flickr)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that Americans have become “obesogenic,” meaning they live in an environment of unhealthy foods — one that encourages increased food intake and decreased physical activity. But chemicals in food could also contribute to the problem. A White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity Report to the President (pdf) says chemicals called obesogens "may promote obesity by increasing the number of fat cells, changing the amount of calories burned at rest, altering energy balance, and altering the body’s mechanisms for appetite and satiety."
 
Chemicals and food preservatives can disrupt our hormones and directly contribute to weight issues. In fact, studies reveal that the increased use of synthetic chemicals in food between 1930 and 2000 directly correlates with the increase in obesity.
 
These endocrine disruptors or chemicals “reprogram” the body to hold onto fat instead of burning it. As CBS News reports, “obesogens can cause heart disease, diabetes, obesity and high cholesterol.” They can be food preservatives, pesticides, BPA and more — and they are found in almost every aspect of American food production.
 
So what to do? Consider these five rules to help kick obesogens to the curb.
 
1. Avoid the dirty dozen of fruits and vegetables.
According to CBS News, these include anything nonorganic, but especially “peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, kale, lettuce, imported grapes, carrots, pears.” Pesticides are linked to all sorts of health issues such as cancer and more, but they can also contribute to hormone disruptions and, therefore, weight gain. (Can't remember all that? Get the dirty dozen app on your smartphone.)
 
2. Do not buy hormone-treated meat or dairy, and choose leaner cuts.
The corn and soy feed used to nourish mass-produced animals is often treated with pesticides which travel through the animals to you. Further, hormones are used to make animals gain weight faster. So make an effort to pick organic, free-range, grass-fed meats. Choose leaner cuts because fatty tissues store hormones. And drink organic and hormone-free milk because hormones are also given to dairy cows to increase milk production.
 
4. Eliminate BPA from your plastics and food storage containers.
BPA has been found to mimic estrogen, making it another endocrine disruptor. Bisphenol A is highest in certain plastics and food containers, so be sure to toss out plastic containers labeled 3, 6 or 7 on the bottom.
 
3. Forgo plastic beverage bottles.
Plastic bottles contain phthalates which find their way into your water or sports drink. They are a known endocrine disruptor — and research points out that there is a direct link to obesity. One recent study shows that the heaviest children had the highest levels of phthalates in their urine. So leave off the bottled anything and start using a reusable BPA and phthalate-free bottle.
 
5. Avoid high-fructose corn syrup.
High-fructose corn syrup, cheaper than sugar to use and produce, can be the bane of anyone trying to lose weight. Our bodies do not process it the same way as sugar. To work it out of your body, the liver moves more fat into your bloodstream which can end up on your waist. It also destabilizes your blood sugar level, making you hungrier.
 
For further reading:

MNN homepage photo: jelles/Flickr

 
You might also like:
Related Topics: Food, Health & Well Being, Healthy Eating, Organic Cooking

Comments

Follow this conversation
Add your comment
View:

anonymous
Natural Doctor 11/16/2010 01:31 AM

Carol,
It is true that not one particular ingredient makes a person obese. However, the evidence based research shows that there are differences between fructose, sucrose and glucose. It is best practice to avoid what the evidence shows is harmful. How is suggesting a carcinogen or a diabetic causing substance, like HFCS, a sound medical recommendation (see my citations in earlier comments)? As the medical oath says, "First do no harm."
Gibran Ramos, ND, MSOM, LAc

anonymous
CSRD 11/15/2010 00:02 AM

Articles demonizing specific foods or ingredients don't help consumers make informed decisions. For example, a sugar is a sugar, whether it’s honey, high fructose corn syrup, table sugar, or fruit juices (all have 4 calories per gram and are metabolized in a similar manner by the body). As a registered dietitian who counsels patients, has worked in a school district providing nutrition education to K-8 students and who consults with the food and beverage industry including the Corn Refiners.... More

anonymous
Natural Doctor 11/08/2010 12:23 PM

Again, this is to the Corn Refiners Association,
It is partly true that the body metabolizes table sugar or sucrose in a similar way it metabolizes fructose. As your industry likes to quote from the American Dietetic Association (ADA), “Once absorbed into the blood stream, the two sweeteners are indistinguishable.” The truth is, fructose is not metabolized exactly the same as sucrose. In fact, sucrose is a disaccharide that is broken down by the human body into one molecule of.... More

anonymous
Natural Doctor 11/09/2010 17:39 PM

Here is the reference for the above ADA quote:
http://www.diabetes.org/news-research/research/recent/ada-researchers-in...

anonymous
Natural Doctor 11/08/2010 12:21 PM

Dear Corn Refiners Association,
Please do not forget to also mention an important piece of the "latest research" regarding fructose. According to Dr. Anthony Heaney and his research team (http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/70/15/6368.abstract)
"...fructose and glucose metabolism are quite different; in comparison with.... More

anonymous
Cornrefiner 11/02/2010 13:54 PM

High fructose corn syrup is simply a kind of corn sugar. It has the same number of calories as sugar and is handled the same by the body.

As noted by Michael Jacobson, Ph.D., Executive Director, Center for Science in Public Interest, “The bottom line is there isn't a shred of evidence that high-fructose corn syrup is nutritionally any different from sugar.” (USA Today, March 2, 2010, .... More

anonymous
JC Terrell 11/08/2010 11:43 AM

I would like to know where I can get Organic HFCS to add to my recipes at home. I would prefer to grow my own so information on how to so that would also be helpful.

Thanks!

anonymous
Lane 11/23/2010 17:03 PM

Not sure if you're being serious, JC, but growing and making this at home is not possible... unless you happen to have a chemistry set.

Add your comment

Sign in with one of these accounts or just add your comment below.
Used only for emailed comments and will not be displayed with your post
Notify me with an email when other people comment on this article.
The posting of advertisement, profanity or personal attacks is prohibited.
Click here to review our Terms of Use