Are Common Chemicals Feeding Obesity Epidemic?
THURSDAY, March 15 (HealthDay News) — Exposure to a class of chemicals commonly found in soap and plastics could be fueling the obesity epidemic by contributing to abdominal obesity and insulin resistance in men, a new study suggests. The chemicals, known as phthalates, have already been implicated in male reproductive problems including low sperm counts and low testosterone levels. However, it’s too soon to know whether they are actually causing these health problems, cautioned the researchers and others. “It’s premature for folks to be alarmed,” said study author Dr. Richard Stahlhut, a resident in preventive medicine at the University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry in New York.. “What is more alarming is the reason we are doing studies like this. Another study showed that testosterone levels had dropped about 22 percent in men, and that sperm counts had dropped to levels that are considered subfertile or infertile.” “It’s an important observation that chemical exposure
