At least one pesticide could be slowing down your metabolism.
Most cases of obesity are most likely caused by simple overeating and not getting enough exercise. It’s not hard to pinpoint this, what with America’s culture of fast food and indulgence.
But not everything can be chalked up to errors of lifestyle. Some studies show obesity could be worsened by the growth hormones given to the animals we eat. It could also be linked to materials that contain fire retardants which can be toxic that make their way into our bodies without us even realizing it. Even polluted air has made its way onto the list.
So, how about pesticides?
Researchers from Canada’s McMaster University found that a certain pesticide used widely in some parts of the world contributed to obesity in mice. It’s called chlorpyrifos and it’s been found to slow down how fast mice burn calories in their brown fat.
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When the body burns calories more slowly something called diet-induced thermogenesis takes place. This causes the body to store extra calories for a rainy day. This, in turn, promotes obesity.
“Lifestyle changes around diet and exercise rarely lead to sustained weight loss, “ said the study’s senior author Gregory Steinberg. Steinberg is a professor of medicine at McMaster.
“We think part of the problem may be this intrinsic dialling back of the metabolic furnace by chlorpyrifos.”
All it takes is an extra 40 calories per day
Scientists involved in the study examined the effects of 34 commonly used pesticides and herbicides on mice fed high calorie diets.
According to Steinber, chlorpyrifos would only have to inhibit a person’s brown body fat from burning 40 calories a day, (about 1 light cheese triangle or 10 olives in brine), to trigger obesity in an adult human. This would result in the person gaining five extra pounds every year of their life. Once two decades go by, the person would be about forty pounds overweight. These extra pounds can be difficult to shake.
One silver lining exists, but only if you live in Canada. Canada has banned the use of chlorpyrifos as a pesticide on fruits and vegetables, and so buying local produce grown within the country if you live there helps to protect you from exposure.
Steinberg enforces that it’s always wise to wash your produce, and this applies no matter where it comes from.
Known major causes of obesity
According to the Mayo Clinic, obesity is generally known to be caused by environmental, physiological, and inherited factors along with choices made around how much exercise to get and what you eat. It’s complicated.
Most people who are obeses have diets too high in calories. One of the easiest ways to lose some weight is to cut out your liquid calories. Drink water instead of carbonated drinks. Once you master this, go on a daily walk. A few pounds should come off.
Talk to your doctor to set up a plan and try to stick to it.
photo credits: Valentin Valkov/Shutterstock.com
