You may shake your head in disbelief, but certain daily-use products (laundry detergents, non-stick cookware for example), to even house dust may have chemicals with endocrine-disrupting properties that can cause two of the biggest health issues we are currently facing – obesity and diabetes. We consider hormones only in terms of growth and development, but diabetes and thyroid are examples of illnesses that arise of hormonal imbalances in the human body. Do you know that apart from regulating blood sugar, insulin is also a hormone that encourages fat storage in the body? BPA (found commonly in plastic products) and even air pollutants can trigger weight gain by acting as endocrine disruptors, that can decrease or increase level of hormones (particularly of insulin, thyroid, estrogen, etc.), affect production of hormones, and mimic the properties of boy’s natural hormones. The sad part is that it has become quite difficult to avoid these chemicals or endocrine disruptors because they are even present in the air you breathe! Research has linked these chemicals to increased risk of cancer, diabetes, birth defects, developmental disorders, thyroid disease, and of course weight gain. Some of these chemicals become stored in fat cells and disrupt the normal functioning of the body. That’s why it is extremely important to minimize exposure to these hormone disrupting chemicals and here’s how you can do it to decrease the risk of health-related issues including obesity.
Some Major Endocrine Disruptors That Can Cause Obesity:
1. Air pollutants.
3. Flame retardants.
8. PFAS (polyfluoroalkyl substances).
9. Polybrominated biphenyls.
9 Ways To Avoid Hormone Disrupting Chemicals That Lead to Obesity:
1. Do Not Let House Dust Settle Down: Research shows that harmful chemicals that escape from electronics and other sources get trapped in household dust and when you breathe these particles, they can disrupt hormones. Develop a cleaning routine and clear away dust from ceilings, floor, electronics, counter tops with a microfiber cloth and use a hepa filter based vacuum to effectively remove air-borne pollutants.
2. Pick phthalate-free products: Food containers to cosmetics, to air fresheners to even laundry detergents, phthalates everywhere! Read ingredients list carefully to weed out phthalates from daily household items.
3. Go Fragrance Free: Laundry detergents, personal care products use fragrance to appeal to consumers, but these fragrance-based products usually have phthalates, so go fragrance free and avoid strongly0scented products.
4. Avoid BPA and Cut Down Plastic Use: Along with many other health risks that BPA-based plastic products can trigger, obesity is right there at the top of the list. Pick BPA-free plastic products or use glass or stainless steel options instead.
5. Pesticides have hormone-altering properties, so prefer organic foods over those grown with pesticides and choose local produce over exotic varieties.
6. Pick makeup products without phthalates because these products have chemicals that can penetrate dermal layer and mimic certain hormones.
7. Microwavable popcorn may have a set of chemicals such as PFAS (Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances) that are also called “forever chemicals” because they take years to get flushed out of the body. PFAS are also commonly found in food containers like pizza boxes, microwave popcorn bags, etc., so cut own the use of these products.
8. Replace non-stick cookware with glass, stainless steel, cast-iron, and even ceramic options.
9. Parabens (alkyl esters of p-hydroxybenzoic acid) are used as preservatives in makeup to skincare products, to shampoos and ointments, and they have been found to mimic hormones like estrogen and cause hormonal issues. Pick paraben-free products as much as you can to reduce the risk of health problems including obesity. Also read: “Top 20 Sulfate and Paraben Free Shampoos In India.”
If you want to lose weight, there’s no better way than to start on a good weight loss program, and you can find it all on the Rati Beauty Diet. Download the Rati Beauty app for more details.