About 37 percent of American adults and 17 percent of American children and adolescents are obese. There are multifaceted public health efforts to try to improve these statistics. Findings from a study published in the February issue of PLOS Medicine provide insight into another possible contributor to the problem – exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs).

By following the dieting and weight loss experience of 621 individuals in Louisiana and Massachusetts over two years, researchers identified that those who regained the most weight had the highest levels of PFASs in their blood. One hypothesis is that this is due to impacts on estrogen metabolism, as well as on thyroid hormones and subsequent metabolism disruption, something that has been detected in previous animal studies.

These findings are especially concerning given the high levels of PFAS in the drinking water sources of at least 6 million Americans and their ubiquitous nature in products such as food packaging and household dust. They are considered “forever chemicals” because they never break down in the body or the environment.

"We typically think about PFASs in terms of rare health problems like cancer, but it appears they are also playing a role in obesity, a major health problem facing millions around the globe," said study co-author Philippe Grandjean, a researcher and adjunct professor of environmental health at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, in a statement. "The findings suggest that avoiding or reducing PFAS exposure may help people maintain a stable body weight after they successfully lose some weight, especially for women."

[Source: Environmental Health News]