Obesogens – A Theory

I agree. I have no problem looking at BPA or other endocrine disruptors and being "concerned" about early onset of puberty. But I am unwilling to make the causal leap to weight. In fact, a study I referenced in a previous blog found no relationship with weight even though the researchers found about a one-year decrease in the age of developing breasts.

As authors of The New American Diet, we take exception to the fact that you seem to be commenting on our book after reading only an Op-Ed in the Wall Street Journal and a one-page marketing sheet. Actually opening the book and doing further research would teach you that the American Medical Association and the White House have endorsed the theory that endocrine disrupting chemicals, or "obesogens," may play a role in America's weight problem. The expert from the NIEHS you refer to is just one of many leading researchers who contributed enthusiastically to our book. And many of the studies we cite are human studies. Yes, Americans take in too many calories and burn off too few. But the reasons for both are more complicated than we think, and the effect of obesogens--which come not just from plastic compounds, but from steroids in livestock, from certain pesticides, from soy isolates, and from other sources--is to reduce our calorie burn and increase our appetite by interfering with our hormonal systems. As these chemicals become ever more ubiquitous in our diets, so too does our inability to regulate body-weight homeostasis. Obesity is the number one health crisis facing America today. All of its possible causes, and its potential cures, deserve serious consideration.