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WarningsFromaFlabbyMouseTheNewYorkTimes

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SundayReview

OPEDCOLUMNI ST

WarningsFromaFlabbyMouse

NicholasKristofJAN.19,2013
JAN.19,2013

NicholasKristof

ONEofthepuzzlesofthemodernworldiswhywehumansaregrowingso
tubby.Maybethesetwomiceofferaclue.
Theyregeneticallythesame,raisedinthesamelabandgiventhesame
foodandchancetoexercise.Yetthebottomoneissvelte,whiletheotherlooks
like,well,anAmerican.
Theonlydifferenceisthatthetoponewasexposedatbirthtojustone
partperbillionofanendocrinedisruptingchemical.Thebriefexposure
programmedthemousetoputonfat,andalthoughtherewerenosignificant
differencesincaloricintakeorexpenditure,itcontinuedtoputonflablong
afterthechemicalwasgone.

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Thatexperimentisoneofagrowingnumberofpeerreviewedscientific
studiessuggestingthatonefactorintheindustrializedworldsobesity
epidemic(alongwithTwinkies,sodaandtelevision)maybeendocrine
disruptingchemicals.Thesechemicalsarelargelyunregulatedtheyarein
food,couches,machinereceiptsandshampoosandaraftofnewstudies
suggestthattheycanleadtotheformationofmoreandlargerfatcells.
BeforeIdescribesomeofthisresearch,amorebasicissue:Whyshouldan
opedcolumnistwriteaboutscholarshippublishedinscientificjournals?Dont
punditshavebetterthingstofretabout,likethefeudingbetweenDemocrats
andRepublicans?
Oneansweristhatobesityisanimportantnationalproblem,partly
responsibleforsoaringhealthcarecosts.Yetthechemicallobby,justlikethe
tobaccoindustrybeforeit,hasimpededseriousregulationandiseventrying
toblockresearch.
Asecondisthatjournalistshistoricallyhavedoneapoorjobcovering
publichealthissueswewereslowonthedangersoftobaccoandpainfully
delinquentincallingattentiontotheperilsofleadbutthesearecentralto
ournationalwellbeing.OurlivesarethreatenedlessbytheTalibanin
Afghanistanthanbyunregulatedcontaminantsathome.
Endocrinedisruptorsareaclassofchemicalsthatmimichormonesand
thereforeconfusethebody.Initially,theyprovokedconcernbecauseoftheir
linkstocancersandthemalformationofsexorgans.Thoseconcernscontinue,
butthenewestareaofresearchistheimpactthattheyhaveonfatstorage.
BruceBlumberg,adevelopmentalbiologistattheUniversityofCalifornia,
Irvine,coinedthetermobesogenina2006journalarticletoreferto
chemicalsthatcauseanimalstostorefat.Initially,thisconceptwashighly
controversialamongobesityexperts,butagrowingnumberofpeerreviewed
studieshaveconfirmedhisfindingandidentifiedsome20substancesas
obesogens.

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Theroleofthesechemicalshasbeenacknowledgedbythepresidential
taskforceonchildhoodobesity,andtheNationalInstitutesofHealthhas
becomeamajorfunderofresearchonlinksbetweenendocrinedisruptorsand
bothobesityanddiabetes.
Amongchemicalsidentifiedasobesogensarematerialsinplastics,canned
food,agriculturalchemicals,foamcushionsandjetfuel.Forexample,astudy
inthefallfoundthattriflumizole,afungicideusedonmanyfoodcrops,like
leafyvegetables,causesobesityinmice.
Justthismonth,anewstudyinthejournalEnvironmentalHealth
PerspectivesfoundthatendocrinedisruptorsthataresometimesaddedtoPVC
plasticcausemicetogrowobeseandsufferliverproblemsandtheeffect
continueswithdescendantsofthosemice,generationaftergeneration.
Anotherstudyfoundthatwomenwithapesticideresidueintheirblood
borebabieswhoweremorelikelytobeoverweightattheageof14months.
Thatsacommonthread:Themostimportanttimeforexposureappears
tobeinuteroandinchildhood.Itsnotclearwhethermostobesogenswilldo
muchtomakeanordinaryadult,evenapregnantwoman,fatter(althoughone
hasbeenshowntodoso),andthegreatestimpactseemstobeonfetusesand
onchildrenbeforepuberty.
ThemagazineScientificAmericanrecentlyaskedwhetherdoctorsshould
domoretowarnpregnantwomenaboutcertainchemicals.Itcitedasurvey
indicatingthatonly19percentofdoctorscautionedpregnantwomenabout
pesticides,only8percentaboutBPA(anendocrinedisruptorinsomeplastics
andreceipts),andonly5percentaboutphthalates(endocrinedisruptors
foundincosmeticsandshampoos).Dr.Blumberg,thepioneerofthefield,says
hestronglyrecommendsthatpeopleespeciallychildrenandwomenwhoare
pregnantormaybecomepregnanttrytoeatorganicfoodstoreduce
exposuretoendocrinedisruptors,andtrytoavoidusingplasticstostorefood
orwater.Mydaughterusesastainlesssteelwaterbottle,andsodoI,hesaid.

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Foralltheuncertainty,theselateststudiesareonemorereasontoworry
thatendocrinedisruptorsmaybethetobaccoofourtime.Sciencebased
decisionstoimprovepublichealthliketheremovalofleadfromgasoline
havebeenamongourgovernmentsmostbeneficialpublicpolicymoves.In
thiscase,astartingpointwouldbetoboostresearchofendocrinedisruptors
andpasstheSafeChemicalsAct.Thatmeasure,longstalledinCongress,
wouldrequiremorestringentsafetytestingofpotentiallytoxicchemicals
aroundus.
Afterall,whichmousewouldweratherlooklike?
Iinviteyoutocommentonthiscolumnonmyblog,OntheGround.Pleasealso
joinmeonFacebookandGoogle+,watchmyYouTubevideosandfollowmeon
Twitter.
AversionofthisopedappearsinprintonJanuary20,2013,onpageSR11oftheNewYorkedition
withtheheadline:WarningsFromaFlabbyMouse.

2015TheNewYorkTimesCompany

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