Can Bisphenol-A (BPA) Cause Obesity?

Americans are gaining weight by the minute! How can there be so many weight loss programs and weight loss products out there and Americans just keep on gaining weight? The average American woman now weighs what the average American man did in the 1960s.

In the U.S., about 75% of men and 67% of women are now either overweight or obese. This has risen significantly from figures gathered in 1994, when 63% of U.S. men and 55% of U.S. women were overweight or obese.

Making the situation even worse, research published in Obesity Research & Clinical Practice, found that the same caloric intake and exercise program would result in a body mass index (BMI) that was about 5 pounds higher in 2006 than it would have been in 1988. In other words, in order to maintain the same weight as in 1988, in 2006, you would have needed to exercise more and eat fewer calories.

Those results suggest that there are other factors other than diet and physical activity that are contributing to weight gain. Some likely culprits are environmental chemicals, particularly endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). A major one is BPA.

Besides weight gain, EDCs have many other detrimental effects on the human body.

Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals Linked to Significant Disease :

Endocrine disruptors, a number of which are found in plastic products, electronics, cleaning products, and even food, are similar in structure to natural sex hormones such as estrogen and consequently interfere with their normal functions.

As stated in a report by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), Among the chemicals known to be EDCs Are:

1. Bisphenol-A (BPA)

2. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

3. Dioxins

4. Perfluoroalkyl compounds

5. Solvents

6. Phthalates

7. Diethylstilbestrol

8. Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE

9. Organophosphate and organochlorine pesticides

10. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs)

The study further noted EDCs play at least a probable role in the following conditions:

1. IQ loss and associated intellectual disability

2. Autism

3. Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

4. Childhood and adult obesity

5. Prostate and breast cancers

6. Adult diabetes

7. Cryptorchidism (undescended testicle)

8. Male infertility

9. Mortality associated with reduced testosterone

10. Male and female reproductive dysfunctions

11. Cardiopulmonary disease

12. Immune dysregulation

BPA: The 'Poster Child' of Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals:

Bisphenol-A (BPA) was first created in 1891 by a Russian chemist. By the 1930s, it was found to mimic the effects of estrogen in the human body. In the 1950s BPA found its way into industry, as a chemical that could produce strong, resilient and often transparent plastics.

BPA is also used to make BPA resins, which keep metal from corroding and breaking. As such, it now coats about 75% of can linings in North America. The chemical is surrounded in controversy as research continues to build that it's detrimental to human health.

Yet, the BPA market was valued at over $13 billion in 2013 and sales are set to expand 5% annually. As of 2012, 10 billion pounds of BPA were produced worldwide.

Most Americans have BPA in their blood, usually in the range of 1 part per billion (ppb).

This might seem like too minuscule an amount to cause problems and that's just what regulators and chemical companies have long stated, but 'endocrine disruptors like BPA, which act like hormones, don't 'play by the rules,' says Patricia Hunt, a geneticist at Washington State University."

According to Hunt, "exposure to low levels of BPA levels that we think are in the realm of current human exposure, can profoundly affect both developing eggs and sperm."

BPA has been linked to a number of health concerns, particularly in pregnant women, fetuses and young children, but also in adults, including:

1. Structural damage to your brain

2. Changes in gender-specific behavior and abnormal sexual behavior

3. Hyperactivity, increased aggressiveness, and impaired learning

4. Early puberty, stimulation of mammary gland development, disrupted reproductive cycles, ovarian dysfunction and infertility

5. Increased fat formation and risk of obesity

6. Stimulation of prostate cancer cells

7. Altered immune function

8. Increased prostate size and decreased sperm production

Why BPA-Free Products Are Not Always a Safe Solution:

In response to consumer demand for BPA-free products, many manufacturers have switched to using a different chemical called bisphenol-S (BPS). But BPS appears to be just as toxic, if not more so, than BPA.

Dr. Mercola's15 Tips to Reduce Your Exposure to Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals

1. Eat mostly fresh whole foods. Processed and packaged foods are a common source of BPA and phthalates — particularly cans, but also foods packaged in plastic wrap.

2. Buy products that come in glass bottles rather than plastic or cans.

3. Store your food and beverages in glass, rather than plastic, and avoid using plastic wrap. Use glass containers if heating food in your microwave, as heat tends to increase the release of chemicals from plastic. Be aware that even "BPA-free" plastics typically leach other endocrine-disrupting chemicals that are just as bad as BPA.

4. Use glass baby bottles for your infants.

5. Be careful with cash register receipts. If you use a store regularly, encourage the management to switch to BPA-free receipts. I shop at Publix for my food and when I called them about the receipts it turns out they had already switched. Nevertheless it is wise to limit your contact with all these receipts.

6. Look for products that are made by companies that are earth-friendly, animal-friendly, sustainable, certified organic and GMO-free. This applies to everything from food and personal care products to building materials, carpeting, paint, baby items, furniture, mattresses and more.

When redoing your home, look for "green," toxin-free alternatives in lieu of regular paint and vinyl floor coverings, the latter of which is another source of phthalates.

7. Choose toys made from natural materials to avoid plastic chemicals like phthalates and BPA/BPS, particularly for items your child may be prone to suck or chew on.

8. Breastfeed your baby exclusively if possible, for at least the first year (as you will avoid phthalates exposure from infant formula packaging and plastic bottles/nipples).

9. Use natural cleaning products, or make your own.

10. Switch over to organic toiletries, including shampoo, toothpaste, antiperspirants and cosmetics. EWG's Skin Deep database can help you find personal care products that are free of phthalates and other potentially dangerous chemicals.22

11. Replace your vinyl shower curtain with a fabric one.

12. Replace feminine hygiene products (tampons and sanitary pads) with safer alternatives. While most ingredients in feminine hygiene products are undisclosed, tests suggest they may contain dioxins and petrochemical additives.

13. Look for fragrance-free products; phthalates are often used to help the product hold its fragrance longer. Artificial fragrance can also contain hundreds — even thousands — of potentially toxic chemicals. Avoid fabric softeners, dryer sheets, air fresheners, and scented candles for the same reason.

14. Check your home's tap water for contaminants and filter the water if necessary. You may also want to use an alternative to PVC pipes for your water supply.

15. Teach your children not to drink water from the garden hose, as many are made with phthalate-containing plastics.

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