BPA associated with obesity syndrome in children, study finds

BPA associated with obesity syndrome in children, study finds

Researchers at the NYU School of Medicine have found a link between bisphenol A and obesity in children. This is the conclusion reached after researchers found high levels of urinary BPA in  obese children and adolescents.

Bisphenol A is a chemical compound that has been widely used in plastic materials industry. BPA is found in bottles, sippy cups, aluminum cans etc. But it was found that BPA is harmful to health, and the effects are especially on babies, children and adolescents due to its hormone-like properties BPA  has. Concerns about BPA began by 2000, when the FDA warned about the possible dangers that BPA has. Subsequent the use of this chemical in baby bottles has been banned. However, BPA is still used in some products. Although some manufacturers claim that this chemical compound is an antiseptic barrier against microorganisms, some studies have found that exposure to BPA may affect body weight.

Obesity

Regarding the health consequences of BPA, it appears that this compound exerts a number of adverse effects, such as obesity, hormonal dysfunction, neurological dysfunction, cardiovascular disease, infertility etc. Also, there have been studies that have shown a link between BPA and various types of cancer: breast cancer, prostate cancer, neuroblastoma, etc.. Now research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, highlights a link between obesity in children and exposure to BPA. Lead investigator Leonardo drawing, MD, MPP, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Environmental Medicine, said it is the first time to highlight the link between exposure to a environmental chemical and obesity through a sample of children so representative. He added that although physical inactivity and unhealthy diet have a very important role, however there are also other factors involved in obesity. He also said that further studies are needed to understand the causes of epidemic obesity.
Researchers found that exposure to BPA among children is very high, over 92% of children aged 6 years were identified to have detectable levels of BPA in urine. They also have found that children exposure to BPA comes mainly from dietary sources.
The researchers concluded that BPA affects body weight after analyzing approximately 3000 children aged between 6 years and 19 years. The study results showed that children with the highest levels of BPA had obesity rate 2.6 times higher than those with low levels of urinary BPA. It should be noted however that this link between BPA and obesity was statistically significant only in one racial subpopulation: white children and adolescents.