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June 24th, 2012 
FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda SATURDAY, June 23 (HealthDay News) — It’s hard to imagine a
pacifier or a rubber ducky making your child fat.
But new research suggests that chemicals called phthalates, which are
found in the plastics that pacifiers and toys are typically made of, may
be linked to higher rates of obesity in children.
The chemical, called di-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), is suspected of
being able to alter biological functions involved in fat metabolism. In
the study, children with the highest DEHP levels had nearly five times the
chance of being obese compared with those who had the lowest DEHP
levels.
How could a chemical used to soften plastics trigger fat development in
a child?
“It may trigger the master regulator of fat creation and lipid
metabolism,” explained study co-author Dr. Mi-Jung Park, a pediatric
endocrinologist and professor at Inje University College of Medicine, in
Seoul, South Korea.
DEHP may do two different things that increase fat development, Park
said. It may reduce the effect of androgen — a male sex hormone — which
lowers body-mass index (BMI). It may also disrupt thyroid function, which
plays a role in weight gain. Interfering with androgen or thyroid hormones
can affect appetite or a person’s rate of metabolizing food, she
explained.
Other studies have linked phthalates to breast growth in boys,
reproductive problems in men and low birth weight.
The researchers measured blood levels of DEHP in 204 children ranging
from 6 to 13 years old; 105 were considered obese and 99 were of normal
weight.
Children with a higher BMI, a measurement of body fat, had higher DEHP
levels. The increased risk of obesity with elevated DEHP levels was not
related to the amount of physical activity they got or their daily calorie
intake.
The study, scheduled for presentation Saturday at the Endocrine
Society’s annual meeting in Houston, did not demonstrate a causal
relationship between blood levels of DEHP and obesity.
Park said parents should understand that phthalates are virtually
everywhere — in food, water, plastic bags and packaging wraps, cosmetics,
lotions, shampoo and toys. Pregnant women, premature infants and young
children may be particularly sensitive to the chemical, she said. “Putting
hot water or hot food into a plastic container may be dangerous,” she
added.
Johanna Congleton, senior scientist and toxicologist at the
Environmental Working Group in Washington, D.C., recommends avoiding
exposure to phthalates. “It’s a good precautionary measure, and consumer
product manufacturers should phase out the use of such compounds,” she
said.
Research presented at medical meetings should be viewed as preliminary
until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.
More information
For more on phthalates, go to the Environmental
Working Group.
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