Overweight and obesity: beware of plastic food ...

Plastic food have become ubiquitous. But most of them contain bisphenol A, but also certain phthalates, two chemicals can disrupt our hormonal system. These molecules could play a role in the development of overweight and obesity? And if yes how to protect?



How plastic food promote obesity? 
Overweight is growing very fast worldwide. In France today there are more than 7 million people obese. One explanation is based on the great upheaval of our eating habits, including a breakdown of food and the industrialization of food.

Bisphenol A: fertility problems, diabetes as well as obesity ....?
But alongside the new composition of our meals, presentation has changed a lot with a number of increasingly important food presented wrapped in plastic: plastic film, pots, trays, bottles, cans, etc. Knowing that these plastics often contain bisphenol A, an endocrine disruptor associated with fertility disorders and behavior, we can also ask whether food packaging play a role in the current obesity epidemic.

The studies linking bisphenol A chronic diseases have increased in recent years, particularly showing an increased risk of diabetes, insulin resistance, obesity and cardiovascular disease via an endocrine disruption and probably the lipid system. But in addition to the in vitro and animal, those studies that have focused on populations are sometimes contradictory or borderline significance and do not allow us to conclude definitively or to end the controversy.

Hard evidence to materialize
According to a team of researchers published in February 2013 an analysis of the existing literature on the subject (2), difficulties are mainly related to the metabolism of bisphenol A. There is also a confounding factor: the socioeconomic context. Indeed, disadvantaged groups tend to eat more foods with high energy density and processed, it is difficult to know if the packaging or the food itself that increases the risk of obesity, diabetes coronary artery disease. Furthermore, exposure to bisphenol A is multiple and continuous since it was detected in dust, air, water, and is particularly used in thermal paper ...

Phthalates: up to five times higher risk of obesity
It is likely that bisphenol A is just one of many environmental contaminants to which we are exposed and could be associated with chronic diseases: polychlorinated biphenyls, organochlorine pesticides or phthalates. Among these, DEHP, one of the most common forms, is used for number of flexible plastics. In addition to its presence in the personal care products (soap, shampoo), we could also find themselves in nipples or in plastic food containers. Its presence in the blood of children was directly corellée the risk of obesity of these that could see their risk of obesity increased fivefold for the most contaminated!

How to protect yourself from bisphenol A and phthalates in food? 
  Pending the application from 1 January 2014 to ban bisphenol A in plastic food and utensils, it is possible to limit its exposure. By waiving products whose label indicates the presence of bisphenol A and encouraging those marked "BPA-free" or excluding certain plastic food in your kitchen.

Exit the transparent film, boxes, trays, cans, cans, bowls, pots, etc. This is especially true for pregnant women and young children. To help you, choose glass, Pyrex, stainless steel or porcelain, and cook as much as possible yourself with products purchased from non-industrial base in the markets and were not wrapped in plastic.