There’s something in the water.
Scientists say they have located a new source of blame for the rise in obesity in the United States and elsewhere: distressingly common chemicals found in our homes — and our drinking water.
The recently completed study, conducted jointly by the Universities of Rhode Island and Southern Denmark, homed in on per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as likely culprits.
Found in everything from makeup to microwave popcorn bags to nonstick skillets, PFAS, frequently referred to as ‘forever’ chemicals due to their surprising resilience, are present in a wide range of everyday items found in most households.
And when they’re not in your home, they’re being discharged by someone else’s into your water supply, via waste runoff, the study said.
Elevated levels of PFAS can make it more challenging to keep pounds off — especially after a recent weight loss, according to lead study author Dr. Philippe Grandjean at the University of Southern Denmark.
“We’ve previously shown that children with increased PFAS concentrations tend to gain weight and develop higher levels of cholesterol in the blood,” Grandjean wrote.
“We now focused on adults who participated in an experimental study of five different diets in regard to weight gain. Our results add to the concern that environmental pollution may be affecting our metabolism, so that we tend to gain weight.”
Upon the analysis of 381 blood samples, the results remained extremely consistent.
“No matter the diet that these participants were assigned to, they gained weight if they had elevated PFAS exposures,” according to researchers.
In particular, the chemical perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) — commonly found at low levels in food, drinking water and even household dust, according to the American Cancer Society — was determined to be strongly connected to weight gain.
Participants who had the most PFOA in their blood had gained ten more pounds compared to other study samples a year later.
“Our study adds new evidence that being overweight isn’t just about a lack of physical activity and unhealthy eating habits — PFAS are increasingly suspected to be a contributing factor,” Grandjean said.
Other recent studies have fingered PFAS for hurting a woman’s chances of getting pregnant, as well as an uptick in pediatric cancers. The EPA is currently moving towards tighter regulation.
The rises in PFAS also “presents a long-term challenge,” according to University of Rhode Island chemical oceanographer Rainer Lohmann, who called on authorities to step in to eradicate the ongoing issue.
“The hard science is the main tool the government has upon which to make changes that move us closer to either lessening or removing PFAS from our water, our lives, our environments,” Lohmann said.