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Plastics Linked to Obesity, Other Health Problems
February 11, 2008 12:52 PM
by
findingDulcinea Staff
Researchers are raising concerns about infants being exposed to bisphenol A, a chemical found in many common plastic products, including baby bottles.
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Some scientists are questioning the health risks of contact with the everyday plastics that are used in all aspects of modern life. They are particularly concerned about effects on the very young.
The Boston Globe reports on research suggesting that a predisposition to obesity could be caused by exposure to some of the substances found in plastics. A Canadian environmental group recently released a report that says plastic baby bottles, when heated, pose a health risk to infants.
Industry groups that manufacture or use plastics say the chemicals employed, such as bisphenol A, are safe and have been repeatedly tested by a number of governments.
The U.S. government at the end of 2007 reviewed bisphenol A literature. A panel found some concern regarding the chemical’s exposure to pregnant women, fetuses, infants, and children.
BPA is one of the chemicals used to make hard plastics and other materials. It is found in the linings of formula cans, reusable plastic bottles, bike helmets and bulletproof glass.
The Boston Globe reports on research suggesting that a predisposition to obesity could be caused by exposure to some of the substances found in plastics. A Canadian environmental group recently released a report that says plastic baby bottles, when heated, pose a health risk to infants.
Industry groups that manufacture or use plastics say the chemicals employed, such as bisphenol A, are safe and have been repeatedly tested by a number of governments.
The U.S. government at the end of 2007 reviewed bisphenol A literature. A panel found some concern regarding the chemical’s exposure to pregnant women, fetuses, infants, and children.
BPA is one of the chemicals used to make hard plastics and other materials. It is found in the linings of formula cans, reusable plastic bottles, bike helmets and bulletproof glass.
Headline Links: Do plastics cause obesity?
Researchers are finding links between exposure to substances in plastics—which are found everywhere from carpet fibers to water bottles—and obesity. The American Chemistry Council disputes the findings. “This is a really new area … but from multiple labs on multiple levels we are getting preliminary data that all say the same thing: Chemicals can play a role,” said Jerry Heindel of the National Institutes of Environmental Science in an interview with the Globe.
Source: The Boston Globe
The Canadian organization Environmental Defence recently published a study suggesting BPA seeps out of plastic baby bottles when they are heated. “Clearly we are putting our babies' health at risk by using brand name plastic baby bottles,” said Rick Smith of Environmental Defence in a release. “The federal government must act immediately by banning bisphenol-A from baby bottles and other food and beverage containers.” Industry groups disagree with the findings.
Source: National Post
Reaction: Skeptics
According to the American Chemistry Council, the recent baby bottle studies to make the news don’t contribute anything new to the bisphenol A discussion. The bottles have been safe for 50 years, and many studies “support the conclusion bisphenol A is not a risk to human health at the extremely low levels to which consumers might be exposed.”
Source: American Chemistry Council
Steve Nadis, a Boston-area science writer, expresses some skepticism about the connection between BPA and obesity: “At my gym, where people go to work out, they even take an elevator up one or two flights rather than walk. So while some scientists might blame it on plastics, I'm going to go with laziness for now.”
Source: Call Me Snake
Reference: Government panel reviews substance, BPA basics
In December, a government-assembled panel reviewed studies concerning BPA’s effects on people. The panel had some concern that BPA “causes neural and behavioral effects” in fetuses, infants, and children. However, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences says, “Scientists continue to debate whether effects can occur in people who are exposed to bisphenol A. More research is needed to assess the human health effects of exposure to bisphenol A.”
Source: The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the National Institutes of Health
BPA is an ingredient in epoxy resins and polycarbonate plastics, according to the Chemistry Council. It is found in many products, including disposable and reusable plastic bottles and the linings of some food containers. The council, in an extensive Q&A on its site, says industry and government tests suggest it is “virtually impossible” for a “consumer to come into contact with an unsafe amount of BPA.”
Source: American Chemistry Council
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