Besides the fact that we generally eat poorly and don’t get nearly enough excercise, there is a growing body of research and evidence pointing to another culprit hindering our ability to drop the pounds. Popular Science did a very interesting and revealing series last March on many of the factors that are making us overweight. It is worth a read for certain, you can find it in the March 2009 issue.
So, what is this mystery culprit? According to biologist Bruce Blumberg of UC Irvine, who has done several studies in the area, it is bisphenol A, or BPA as it is commonly know. Many of you will recognize the three letter abbreviation as the subject of the great Nalgene water bottle scare from a couple of years ago. It is widely believed that even if BPA isn’t conclusively linked to weight management issues, it is not good stuff to have floating about in your body. And it sounds like we have it all floating in our bodies. Frederick vom Saal, a University of Missouri biologist, is quoted in the article with the following scary stat. "There is virtually nobody in the U.S. without biologically active levels of BPA in the body."
So, what is BPA doing to make us fat, or at least hinder our ability to reduce fat we already have? The current thinking is that BPA mimics the hormone estrogen and can interfere with the body’s natural ability to regulate fat cells. So, with elevated levels of BPA, you are likely experiencing the equivalent of elevated levels of estrogen. When estrogen levels are above normal, or present when not normally, the body will try to retain fat.
The biggest question with this theory is just how much BPA is affecting those exposed to it? What is the relationship between the levels of BPA present in the body and the amount of elevated fat retention signals our body is receiving? In other words, how much BPA do we need to have in our system in order for it to affect our ability to regulate fat cells normally? In mice, a single exposure to BPA while the mom is pregnant results in offspring that are 10-15% fatter as adults according to a study conducted by von Staal. So, it seems that this can be passed on genetically as well.
So, what should you do and what can you do to help this? Considering how prolific BPA is in the environment, over 7 billon pounds are produced a year, it isn’t going to be easy. It is best to avoid polycarbonate -containing plastics. These are stamped with recycling numbers three or seven. However, if what happens in mice carries over to us, and your mom was exposed to BPA, you likely already have BPA in your system and it might be too late so to speak.
