Avoiding Obesogens: Tips for Weight Loss via Prevention (& Detoxification from Former Exposures)

If you’re struggling to lose excess weight despite the traditional western medicine rhetoric of “eat less, move more,” you need to also overturn this stone:

Look into obesogens in your life and minimize them at all costs.

What are obesogens?

Obesogens are certain chemicals in the our modern day environment that can negatively interfere with hormones and can cause a range of health concerns, including obesity. There are over 20 chemicals that are identified as obesogens.

Where are obesogens lurking?

Unfortunately, they are found in lots of common places: household cleaning products, laundry detergent, make up, hair care, skin care, flame retardant pajamas, kitchen items, our USA tap water supply, and within the food industry.

So how do obesogens lead to obesity?

Evidence points to multiple angles. Once we have consumed them (via food, water, skin, breathing) they can lead to a slowed metabolism, lower available testosterone, difficulty utilizing stored energy, increased fat deposition, and alteration of fullness hormones -never quite feeling full.

What are real examples of obesogens:

• Phthalates: these are obesogenic chemical compounds that are added to plastic, and found in a wide range of cosmetic products, in children’s toys, & detergents for example. Experts estimate more than 75% of the U.S. population carries detectable levels of phthalate metabolites.

• Bisphenol A (aka BPA): BPA is a synthetic compounds are associated with many medical conditions and obesity. More companies are making and marketing BPA free products, but this obesogenic compound is still heavily present in plastic dinnerware, toys, medical devices, and aluminum beverage cans for example. Women with PCOS tend to have higher levels of BPA in their bloodwork.

• Herbicides and Pesticides: These are found in crops, soil and also are commonly found in water supply at levels unsafe levels. These are one of the top contaminants in USA tap water.

• PFAs aka “forever chemicals”: Forever chemicals are found in the majority of tap water throughout the USA .(The USA tap water supply is obviously far from healthy. Always remember legal does not equate safe). This contaminant is known to be extremely resistant to degradation and so it persists indefinitely. PFAs are also found in Teflon and “nonstick” pans, in just about anything labeled stain resistance, in products like Scotchgard, in clothing labeled water-repellent, and even in cosmetics and laundry detergents.

• Fragrance: Did you know that over 3000 ingredients legally can hide behind the word “fragrance?” There is a loophole in the FDA’s federal law that states fragrances are a “trade secret” and the ingredients do not need to be listed. Generally speaking, many fragrance concoctions are made with known obesogens. I would highly recommend throwing away scented tampons, scented fabric softener and laundry detergents, glade plug ins, Febreze, Bath and Body Works candles, etc. Speaking of laundry detergent: Did you know that legislation specific to the state of New York has banned several popular laundry detergents, citing a new state regulation limiting the presence of a chemical believed to be a human carcinogen: 1, 4-dioxane. Regulators said recent tests showed Arm & Hammer Clean Burst, Tide Original, Arm & Hammer Sensitive Skin Free & Clear, and Gain Original + Aroma Boost all contained more than 3 parts per million (PPM) of the chemical 1,4-dioxane. New York law now limits the chemical in laundry detergents to 2 PPM.

This is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to obesogens, and where they lurk in every day life. And day after day, decade after decade, obesogens can bioaccumulate and wreak havoc on health and lead to unintentional weight gain.

How does one prevent exposure to obesogens?

This is a tough one and a pretty massive undertaking that will likely take time. The chemicals that are culprits are in a lot of common objects we interact with every day, so this means a pretty big purge may need to occur and making some swaps over time.

Recommendations for reducing your exposure to obesogens:

• Replace non-stick cookware with stainless steel or cast iron.
• Avoid plastic water bottles and get a quality water filtration system that can remove the above offenders. I highly recommend the getting a reverse osmosis system or water distiller in your home.
  • Yes, it will take out minerals but you can get minerals elsewhere and it’s more important to stop drinking arsenic, chromium hexavalent, radium – and all sorts of contaminants across the USA in public tap water. Check your water here
• Throw away or recycle plastic containers that you use for food storage and opt for glass only – like Pyrex.
• Use “clean” haircare, skincare and makeup. The environmental working group has a fabulous database of personal care products and which ones are safe or at least safer. (Hint: the majority of what is in grocery stores and convenience stores doesn’t cut it). Click this link to be routed to a list of safe cosmetic products, haircare, hand soap, detergent. 15% off and free shipping on orders over $50. It’s like Amazon Prime, but no monthly membership fee.
• For women, safer feminine hygiene products are organic, BPA free, dye free and chlorine free. Conventional products are linked to various female health problems.
• Get a safe laundry detergent (your clothes touch your skin, your largest organ, all day every day)
• Dust and vacuum often (obesogens can concentrate in household dust) and use safe cleaning products. A quality vacuum is a good investment for picking up dust and dirt.
• Ventilate well; this is a freebie! Open your windows. Also get a quality air purifier like the Air Doctor, especially for in the bedrooms. Clinically significant levels of toxic indoor mold spores (found in about 50-70% of homes), VOCs, and other air pollutants are known obesogens.
  • This is one of the top things I see in my patients after we do testing that is holding them back with their fitness goals as mold suppresses the MSH hormones, can increase leptin, and leads to oxidative stress and chronic inflammation.
• Eat organic food as best you can. Yes, there can be run off from other fields so organic is also not perfect, but it is less health hazardous than conventionally and intentionally sprayed. Many herbicides, pesticides. and other agricultural chemicals contain obesogens.

Protecting yourself and your family from environmental toxins might seem like an overwhelming, impossible task. Do not focus on perfection as it will drive you mad.

I’m not advocating for living in the bubble. I am advocating for replacing and reducing with every shopping decision. We will forever be consumers in our modern day world; it best to make informed decisions for our consumption habits.

And because it is nearly impossible to have complete avoidance, the majority of humans can benefit from learning about Metabolic detoxification and ways to support this normal bodily process, in which the liver packages up and ships out many toxins we are exposed to.

Need a program to follow for detoxing? Click here to register for Detox 101 – which is my signature on demand program that walks you through step by step what to do – and it is all evidenced based – so some tea you drink for a week.

Detoxing is not just about owning a liver; our liver can detox well when it’s fed well, our drainage pathways are open, nutrient deficiencies are corrected, and we are not past toxin processing capacity. Check it out the highly detailed but explained in simple terms with lots of cited, published studies.

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