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Subscribe to RSSStudies suggest that a chemical used to prevent corrosion in the lining of cans and bottles can make fat cells bigger, and disrupt the balance of estrogen and testosterone in our bodies. NBC's Dr. Nancy Snyderman reports.
Parents may have another reason to avoid bisphenol A, or BPA, the estrogen-like chemical found in many plastic bottles and cans. BPA may be making our kids fat, new research suggests.
In a nationally representative study of nearly 3,000 children and teens, researchers found that kids with the highest levels of BPA in their urine were 2.6 times more likely to be obese compared to those with low levels of the chemical. The report was published in the latest issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
It’s the latest evidence that obesity might be affected by more than just diet and exercise, said Dr. Leonardo Trasande, a professor of pediatrics and environmental medicine at the New York University School of Medicine.
“Clearly poor diet and lack of physical activity contribute to increased fat mass, but the story doesn’t end there,” he said.
The link was statistically significant only for white children and adolescents, who made up 62 percent of the study participants, researchers said. Connections between the highest levels of BPA and obesity weren’t found in black or Hispanic youngsters. Researchers said that link would need more study.
Perhaps one of the most striking findings was that the association between BPA and obesity extended even to children who were consuming the right amount of calories.
“We found that BPA in a child’s urine was associated with the chance of being obese, whether they were eating too many calories for their age and gender, or not,” said Trasande. “Our hypothesis is that something happens to the kids’ metabolisms.”
No one knows exactly what that might be, but experimental studies have shown that BPA can make fat cells bigger, Trasande said. The chemical also has been shown to inhibit a hormone called adiponectin, which is involved in lowering heart disease risk. And, because BPA is actually a weak synthetic estrogen, the chemical may disrupt the balance of estrogen and testosterone, which may adversely affect caloric balance.
BPA exposure in the U.S. is “nearly ubiquitous,” the researchers said. Nearly 93 percent of people aged 6 or older had detectable levels of BPA in their urine, according to a 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. About 99 percent of that exposure comes from dietary sources.
Currently most of the BPA exposure is from canned goods. The chemical is in the resins that manufacturers use to coat the insides of cans to block metals from leaching into foods as well as to prevent a metallic taste.
Many plastic bottle manufacturers voluntarily changed their formulations to exclude BPA after the chemical was linked in animal studies to a host of health ills, including possible developmental problems.
While the Food and Drug Administration has barred the use of the chemical in baby bottles and children’s sippy cups, the agency isn’t yet convinced that BPA must be completely banned. The FDA called for more research because, officials said, it has “some concern about the potential effects of BPA on the brain, behavior and prostate glands of fetuses, infants, and children.”
Trasande hopes his study will help.
“The FDA decided to take a wait-and-see approach, specifically looking for more evidence regarding the potential health consequences of exposure,” he said. “We believe this study provides critical information that the FDA needs to consider as they evaluate the need and the risk involved with keeping BPA in food products.”
Experts not affiliated with the new research said the new study was carefully done.
“This is an important study, albeit just one study,” said Dr. Richard J. Jackson, professor and chair of environmental health science at the Fielding School of Public Health at the University of California, Los Angeles. “We must pay attention to environmental chemicals that meddle with metabolism.”
Dr. Elizabeth Proutparks, an expert in childhood obesity, agreed that the study was very well done, but cautioned that more research must be conducted before anyone can say for certain that BPA actually causes obesity.
Proutparks was also concerned that parents might see this study and skip canned fruits and vegetables altogether.
“I don’t think I would tell them not to eat canned foods and vegetables,” said Proutparks, a nutritionist and attending physician with the healthy weight program at the Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania. “You’d be limiting these foods in low-income populations, who already have issues as it is.”
Proutparks did advise parents not to re-use water bottles that contained BPA, noting that obesity isn’t the most worrisome possible side effect from the chemical. The most concerning effects would be on the developing brains of fetuses and infants, she said.
“I think there are other studies and other reasons to look for bottles that don’t have BPA in them,” Proutparks said. “But we need to put it all in perspective.”
Related stories:
- BPA levels soar after lunching on canned soup
- FDA: BPA banned in baby bottles
- Decay dilemma: Do kids need dental sealants?
Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health found that eating canned soup boosts urine concentration of the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) in humans. BPA is raising concerns among some health experts for its potential health effects in children, infants and fetuses. NBC's Robert Bazell has more.
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I wish there were as much public outrage over BPA as there was over Pink Slime.
While noone is willing to go on the record that BPA might be harmful, you'll notice that manufacturers have quietly removed them from almost all baby products, even without an FDA mandate.
The next step is to get them removed from the linings of food cans...the can manufacturers will fight this till the end of time though.
BTW, as of 7/17/2012 there IS a mandate blocking them from use in baby products...but manufactures were removing them long before that.
Perhaps switching to frozen vegetables over canned, and relying more on fresh fruit is the best short term solution.
I won't argue whether BPA is harmful or not, but I feel fairly certain that this study's finding will be found to be untrue. I am not a scientist, but I can see glaring flaws in the reasoning just from this mini story.
1. The elevated BPA may be a result of the obeseity. In other words, the overweight kids are eating more junk foods and sodas that are put in containers that contain BPA.
2. Minority kids don't retain BPA? or what? Or do they not eat as much pre-packaged junk food as whites?
3. 2.6 times more likely is insignificant statistically. If it was 20 times more likely, that might be signifigant.
Just because some govt grant funded researcher puts it out there doesn't make it true. That has been shown repetitively.
I agree with your points. I read another version of this earlier today and found it to be quite inconclusive. The most glaring issue I saw with it was that BPA has been used since the 60's. The child obesity issue is a much newer issue. The 60's, 70's & 80's were times of much slenderness. Shouldn't the problem have surfaced much sooner? When I was a kid in school, there were very few 'heavy' kids and very, very few kids that would qualify as obese. It seems like we're always searching for that ONE thing to blame and somehow flip that switch to reverse it. It's just not that simple outside of decreasing what you eat and increasing how much you do.
Horse manure. Another journalist with his head full of fecal matter. BPA is not absorbed by the body. Tons of EU research have declared BPA safe and the EU works under a precautionary principle. Junk science supported by news journalists is hurting US children. They are fed scientific crap as fact. Freedom of speech is being exploited by the US news media to spread lies, hate, and ignorance.
Ha ha Jaime, it's odd how professional medical doctors and labs in the know do actually test for BPAs, cuz they are actually absorbed in the body...
http://www.nmslabs.com/services-clinical-bisphenol-a-bpa
It seems there is a certain group of conservatives that support every toxic chemical out there no matter how much evidence there is that proves it is harmful to humans and the environment we live in. I have often wondered if perhaps these "people" weren't Satan's minion's sent here to poison the human race and destroy the planet. They seem to worship all that is toxic, polluting and detrimental to the well being of every living thing on the planet. BPA is an 8 billion dollar a year industry, making it a massive profit making machine for the Koch brothers who control most of the oil refining in this nation, an Bayer who, by the way, was caught selling products to France that they knew were tainted with the AIDS virus.How much more evil can you get than that. If you look closely at the conservative movement you will see that they actually stand for most things that are against the teachings of Jesus, they are judgemental, racist, hateful, greedy, gluttonous, jealous, wrathful and prideful. They claim to be the party of pro-life yet they relish all that brings death and destruction: weapons of mash destruction, the military industrial complex, nuclear power, fossil fuels, clear cutting our forests, the genocide of indigenous peoples, BPA, pink slime, genetically modified food, and much more. If I were a truly religious man I might be inclined to believe that these "people" might not truly be emissaries of the horned beast, the grand trickster Satan. I mean if you wanted to take over a world of people that were forewarned of your coming would it not be wise to come disguised in religious robes?
Jamie, it's obvious from your assertions that you're on someone's payroll, and you're getting paid to say things like "BPA is not absorbed by the body." Seriously?
In addition, many containers that are labeled "BPA Free" have other, just as dangerous, plastic compounds in them. However, since these chemicals have not been thoroughly tested, there's no 'proof' that they harm people. Of course, there's no proof that they're safe, either.
AVOID PLASTICS AND FLAME-RETARDANTS, PERIOD.
@stanmrak...
You are so right...and as plastics are a petroleum product, guess who we are up against in getting the truth told, concerning the damage done, and future dangers of plastics and the chemicals that leach from them? Thats right...up against the powers of Big Oil profits. Now that nearly everything is manufactured from plastics materials, including newer home's plumbing systems, and the effects of chemical leaching from the different plastic products has made it into our fresh water supplies, we will probably never get the truth regarding the actual dangers and we will probably never be able to completely avoid the risks, or have all risk eliminated.
As plastic products became more and more the norm for everything from baby bottles to plumbing components over the past fifty years, we have seen the incidence of precocious puberty, childhood obesity, autism, gender disorders, A.D.D. (to name a few) and other developmental disorders skyrocket. I hope it doesn't eventually lead us to a modern day version of the fall of Rome (lead pipes helped contribute to the demise of the civilization). Natural materials are always best...from cotton clothing (without chemical additives) to wood floors. I wish we as a society would learn that...and work to eliminate the many chemical hazards we are exposed to.
Don't hold your breath for the FDA to act. These mimickers of hormones in our diet cause long term problems:that is they take years to manifest themselves and then it's too late.
FWIW most of the obese folks have crap diets and suffer from malnutrition, devouring pre-packaged food. I would sooner think that the increased BPA is a result of the dietary choices more so than the BPA resulting in obesity. They aren't getting the BPA from whole foods and fresh produce...
BPA exposure comes from many sources, not just food containers. Those printed receipts you get from the store clerk are one common source. However, if you're eating a lot of packaged, processed foods, you'll be getting more BPA as well as eating a bad diet. Healthy food by and large does not come in fancy packaging.
Don't expect BPA to be banned under the Obama administration, they're too busy raiding local farmers who dare sell healthy fresh raw milk to local people who want to buy it.
The USDA and FDA under this fraud are the most anti consumer in history
seriously? just how ignorant are we? this isn't a political issue, this is the FDA and the USDA that are responsible for the junk we consume without having any knowledge. obviously, whole foods are the absolute best choice but ironically, they are also the most expensive choice. we've become so accustomed to grabbing this off the shelf, that out of the freezer, microwave it for 10 minutes and call it a "home cooked meal". I'd like to believe that most people would be happy to eat better if it were more affordable and if we could spend a little more time in our kitchens preparing it.
Wait - so someone is actually admitting a person can eat the 'perfect amount' of calories and still have a weight 'problem'? Because said weight problem may, in fact, be caused by something other than *gasp* calorie consumption? No way - that's too much truth to throw at us in one little article.
Look up the Endometriosis Association which did a double-blind study years ago linking endometriosis (serious internal bleeding caused by hormone problems in women) to years of exposure to poly vinyl chlorides and dioxin. The plastics are all very dangerous, because they imitate hormones. In boys, these chemicals can cause birth defects in reproductive organs. In both men and women, these chemicals can cause cancer.
Remember back when the Surgeon General first recommended that people stop smoking, and the tobacco industry said that tobacco couldn't cause cancer? Well, folks, there isn't much of a push to investigate the cause-effect relationship of pollution on people anymore. Ever wonder why? It is much easier to put the blame on people who live near a chemical plant, polluted water source, or highway, than it is to fix those problems.
They need to also look at a link between BPA and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.
Perfect amount of calories does not mean they are eating healthy. I can eat the recommended amount of calories from a couple burgers at burger king or mcdonalds. Doesn't mean I eat healthy. This news article either doesn't do the study justice and is just inciting responses, or the study itself is flawed if they are only looking at the calories consumed, as their are lots of empty calories that many consume each day.
Its not the laziness and overeating that is making kids fat, its the BPA!! at least this article MENTIONS the other two..
Damn I remember when plastic bottles were going to save the planet.
NBC, don't give Americans another source to blame on their obesity! Your article states that the kids are eating the correct amount of calories but doesn't say whether they're "good" or "bad" calories. How many products with BPA does one need to consume in a day for it to have an impact on weight? What has more impact on obesity, the nutritional content and quantity of products consumed or the BPA? My bet is overconsumption and lack of exercise are the main reasons for the obesity epidemic.
NBC, don't give American another source to blame for it's obesity! Your article states that "children... were consuming the right amount of calories" but doesn't note whether they were "good" or "bad" calories. How many containers of food or beverage with BPA does one need to consume before it impacts weight? What about the nutritional content and quantity of products consumed per day? My bet is that over consumption and lack of exercise have significantly more impact on the obesity epidemic than the BPA does.
Maybe Obama can blame BPA on his state of mind.....it's mathematically challenged.
More research more exposure??? Something wrong with that equation! They don’t do that for drugs going on the market. If it’s a cancer drug they usually don’t release it right away! People that are dying they make them wait! BPH they lets us use it then they wait to see if we die! Kinda Fuped thinking!
We’ll probably never see a proper intervention study on BPA and obesity; however, I think there’s pretty good evidence that it’s more than a simple correlation (e.g., ). Considering the relative ease in reducing BPA exposure and the fact that obesity doesn’t happen overnight, it might be prudent to avoid BPA when possible.