Research

Hormonal

Exposure to environmental endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) such as BPA, phthalates, and persistent organic pollutants acts as an obesogen, contributing to obesity, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes by disrupting endocrine pathways, adipogenesis, and gut microbiota.

Reduce exposure to known endocrine disruptors by avoiding heating food in plastic containers, choosing glass or stainless steel for water storage, and filtering drinking water. Be aware that these chemicals are ubiquitous in plastics, pesticides, and personal care products, and early-life exposure may have long-term metabolic consequences.

ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
This has led to the hypothesis that some of these environmental chemicals disrupt the endocrine process and lead to obesity by interfering with various endocrine aspects of metabolism... The EDCs linked with obesity and adiposity include several POPs, BPA, and phthalates... Such EDCs have been referred to as 'environmental obesogens'... The term 'metabolic disruptors' has also been suggested as many of these chemicals be associated with other metabolic diseases such as metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes
Manoj Kumar et al. · Frontiers in Public Health · 2020

Why this rating

The paper is a review citing numerous epidemiological and animal studies, but notes that exact mechanisms and epidemiology are yet to be fully elucidated and human studies show variable results.

Source

Environmental Endocrine-Disrupting Chemical Exposure: Role in Non-Communicable Diseases

Manoj Kumar et al. · Frontiers in Public Health · 2020

DOI 10.3389/fpubh.2020.553850

narrative_reviewCited 374×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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