Obesogens: Predisposed to Obesity by Environmental factors: A Discussion on the Role of Endocrine Disruptors on the Obesity Epedimic

Obesogens

What if there was Actual Evidence of chemicals in products found in our everyday lives that when introduced to adipose (fat) cells, would turn on genetic programs causing cells not only to become fat, but current fat cells to grow and fill even more rapidly and in size overall, causing a predisposition of obesity? Our own cells, behaving almost like that of a cancer. As infuriating as this idea may be, the reality is, this study provides just that. And what makes it worse, this can effect the gene programing of infants in utero, causing this gene behavior to take hold before they're even born.

Obesity is on the rise on a global level, with it bringing opinions, dietary conditions and diet camps, trends, with each rise in health conditions a desire for healthier living, weight loss, positivity movements, and yet still rising faster waist measurements, cardiac and metabolic related concerns, and death numbers related to obesity just as fast if not faster. 

But what about having tumor like growth patterns and behaviors in property?

How would the world respond if body fat were to be viewed as something similar to a tumorous growth that can be affected by outside, manmade, chemicals disrupting their natural behavior?

The study mentioned in this writing is noted in the references below, and if you are looking for an emotional upset this is one for the heartstrings. But if not, at least keep reading below for an emotional and eye opening synopsis. 

When I initially read these findings myself, I was reminded how I often find myself being surrounded and often-times overwhelmed at what feels like a sense of hopelessness in my ability to help those effected, much less to be the one effected by obesity and the health and social conditions that come along with it. Not to say these individuals should just walk around miserable and depressed or imply that they do, but it is also of no surprise that this can have an affect on their health not only in terms of what we see on a clipboard in a doctor's office, but also on them as individuals personally and physically.

Not just in terms of physical state but also how much it plays a role in every interaction to be had every moment of the day. Social media, friends, doctors appointments, whether they choose to park closer or farther, how one carries themselves, their personal gate when doing so, and even when they sit down to eat, whether they chose to consume salad or ice cream Sunday, regardless, all being hyper-analyzed and weighted as if there were some sort of tally system held against them. 

The constant awareness of this feeling and the interpretation had by those in the presence of these individuals, can be more consuming and damaging than the number on the scale itself to those who find themselves acquiring more physical mass than others. As one studying these conditions and the effect they have physically and emotionally on the wellbeing of others, stating that I felt a wide range of emotions in response is an understatement...

 For many, endocrine disrupters have been on the horizon as a growing concern, with fertility concerns, a trend towards having children later, and hormonal and stress related health concerns for men and women both, an awareness for how this effect health has been something the general public especially young adults, have paid attention to and vocalized within the past 5-10 years as something they want addressed and have a low tolerance for from big companies. Movies like “Dark Water” put an even bigger spotlight how these endocrine disrupters (ED’s) are not only affecting individual health directly, but on how widespread they are not only in products but in water sources as well, bringing awareness to the over $670 million dollar lawsuit over these same chemicals found in local water ways, farms, and in the bloodwork of over 3,500 individuals, everyone who tested showing positive results. (Elder, 2019)

But what went silently swept under the table was how these same endocrine disruptors, found in nonstick cooking pans, pharmaceuticals, carpets, and furniture’s, the same dust that covers the surfaces infants crawl, lay on, and play on, can also lead to a predisposition towards cells to turn on and result in a lifetime uphill battle with obesity.

 

Mice pictured above, were in studies exposed prenatally to PFOA  (the same coating used to coat nonstick cooking pans touted as a healthy alternative to cooking with additional fats). These mice were found to be more likely than control groups to become obese upon reaching adulthood, even if they were not exposed again after this en utero exposure. 

 

“Big-boned”

A term often used, which sadly when dealing with the effects of these endocrine disruptors, can result in literally quite the opposite. Upon studying these ED’s specifically TBT in the early 2000’s Blumberg found behaviors that quite literally showed that as cells became pre-dispositioned to become adipose when coming in contact with these chemical masked marauders, not only causing an increase in size, amount of fat cells overall, but this also meant these potential cells were being taking away from total amounts of what would otherwise have become bone, tissue, and serve other bodily functions if not exposed to these ED’s in the first place. This meant not only more fat, but less bone, tendon, structural support, organ, and otherwise distributed cellular tissue overall as a result.

Our body possesses preadipocyte or stem cells that are not yet but have the potential to become various forms of tissue, including adipose tissue, bone, etc. The fate of these cells depends on various pockets, that when fitted with specific molecules, turn on to behave and run the programming of various cell types. What Bloomberg found was that these Endocrine Disruptors, when interacting with these stem cells would fit these pockets, activating what is known as an adipogenic program.

 What this means is “

"If you activate PPARy in a preadipocyte, it becomes a fat cell. If it already is a fat cell, it puts more fat in the cell",

Therefore changing the behavior of cells in type, growth, and metabolism (as seen in studies on exposed animals), and at a more intimate rate, to the fetus while still in utero. (Grün F, Blumberg B., 2006). 

More so, in animal studies, animals exposed in utero to TBT then never again, still saw a permanent effect in their cellular behavior for the lifetime of these animals, being predisposed to obesity. Exposed offspring also showed elevated levels of leptin, with higher levels of leptin resistance in adulthood leading to an increased appetite. 

These endocrine disruptors are now known as obesogens, with obesity levels strongly related to exposure to these chemicals during fetal and infant development. Over 20 chemicals have been identified to have these effects and have been linked additionally with diabetes, metabolic syndrome, including PFOA, BPA, PBDEs, and PCBs. (Holtcamp W. 2012)

Suspected obesogens include Estradiol, and Diethylstibestrol (previously given to pregnant mother to prevent miscarriage) which is now known to have adverse effects for the daughters of these women, with higher risk of reproductive problems, vaginal cancer, breast cancer, PCOS, and when used in rats showed modified hormone levels and weight gain in the offspring. These same EDs are also passed via lactation, effecting the offspring even more so. 

While studies have not shown as drastic of effects on exposed adults yet (which does not mean this is not an occurrence, simply has not yet been documented in studied groups), the effect on children or even in utero may be cause for looking closer at pre-birth health of the mother when evaluating for metabolic syndrome related conditions, in this current generation plagued by these factors. (Holtcamp W. 2012).

This could also be due to lower immunity levels of children, their habit of crawling around, putting more molecules into their mouths, as well as the bodies own ability to shut off programing when exposed to larger amounts later in life, as seen when smaller amounts of obesogens showed higher likelihood of obesity as compared to when exposed to large levels all at once. 

 For those who feel they truly are fighting an uphill battle, making healthy decisions, eating little compared to their smaller counterparts, and still hardly maintaining or growing at a rapid rate, as well as facing overwhelming health conditions related to obesity, these findings could bring answers. It was only recently that fat cells were considered an endocrine organ, but it is now my opinion that at times fat growth, if not based on behavioral factors alone could potentially be viewed as behaving like that seen in cancerous cell growth, an argument that I feel if shared by others could validate a lawsuit that potentially could make the one highlighted in the film Dark Water seem like “child’s play”, validly so seeing how these chemicals are effecting the ability of our offspring to grow into healthy adults, capable of enjoying just that.   

 

Elder, P. (2019, December 12). Dark Waters Tells Half the Story of PFAS Contamination. Retrieved from https://freepress.org/: https://freepress.org/article/dark-waters-tells-half-story-pfas-contamination

Holtcamp W. (2012). Obesogens: an environmental link to obesity. Environmental health perspectives, 120(2), a62–a68. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.120-a62  

Grün F, Blumberg B. Environmental obesogens: organotins and endocrine disruption via nuclear receptor signaling. Endocrinol. 2006;147(6):S50–S55.