Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) contained in food packaging, on non-stick pans or in clothing would increase weight gain by interfering with metabolism, especially in women who follow a diet, according to results of a study published in the medical journal PLOS Medicine. PFASs have been used for over 60 years in products such as food packaging, clothing, and casseroles. Previous studies have shown that they have contaminated thepotable water near industrial sites, military bases and wastewater treatment plants. These chemicals can build up in food chains and persist in the body for a long time.
Researchers at Louisiana State University and Tulane University in the United States analyzed data from 621 participants obese and overweight in the Preventing Obesity Using New Diet Strategies (POUNDS LOST) clinical trial conducted in the mid-2000s. The trial tested the effects of four healthy diets for weight loss on a two-year period. The researchers examined the possible link between the amount of PFASs in the participants’ blood at the time of their entry into the study and the weightloss where the weight gain over time.
During a diet, PFASs regain weight
During the first six months of the trial, participants lost an average of 6.4 kilograms, but regained 2.7 kilograms over the following 18 months. Those who gained the most weight also had the highest blood levels of PFASs, and this link was strongest in women. On average, women with the highest blood levels (in the upper third) gained 1.7-2.2 kg more body weight than women in the lower third.
Additionally, the study found that higher blood levels of PFASs were significantly associated with lower resting metabolic rates.
“For the first time, our results have uncovered a new path through which PFASs (perfluoroalkyl substances) could interfere with the regulation of body mass in humans and therefore contribute to the obesity epidemic”, said Qi Sun, the study’s lead author, who works in Harvard University’s nutrition department.
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