Obesity is a complex disorder with many factors that include not just diet and exercise, but also environmental, emotional, and socioeconomic as well. In an effort to help lower rates and cure obesity, it is essential to identify the causes and work towards reversing them. A recent study by Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health has found evidence that air pollution is another factor that may contribute to childhood obesity.
The study involved 702 non-smoking African-American or Dominican women, aged 18-35, living in areas of northern Manhattan or southern Bronx and having a predominantly low income. During the third trimester of their pregnancy, the women would wear a device that continually sampled the air surrounding them for PAHs (polycyclic aromatic compounds), common urban pollutants that are released into the air by the burning of organic substances such as coal, diesel, oil, gas, and tobacco.
The results of the study showed that the children of the women exposed to high levels of PAHs during pregnancy were 1.79 times as likely to be obese by age 5, and 2.26 times more likely to be obese by age 7 than those children whose mothers were exposed to lower levels of PAH’s. That is a twice-as-likely chance of being obese due to higher pollutant exposure! And, according to Dr. Rundle, “not only was their body mass higher, but it was higher due to body fat rather than bone or muscle mass.”
These findings also coincide with several animal studies that have shown that exposure to PAHs causes a gain in fat mass, and prevention normal lipolysis (the process by which fat cells break down and shrink).
This study is a breakthrough in identifying causes of childhood obesity, as it equalizes the other known factors of low-income, neighborhood poverty, cigarette smoke, and proximity to high-traffic roads. If there weren’t a million other reasons why the burning of fossil fuels needs to cease, and new energy sources need to be explored, this is one is enough in itself. Less burning of fossil fuels means less air pollution, which, according to this study, could mean less childhood obesity.
Source Article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120416130358.htm
Posted by Laura Moro (2)
Wow this is a great study. I like how they didn't test all of the usual factors of obesity (income, region of country, ethnicity, etc). The fact that, all else being equal, women who live in areas of high pollution had more obese children is very upsetting. The fact that where you live as opposed to what your habits or genetics are can contribute to your child's obesity is annoying. We can't chose the air we breath. Like you said, we now have another reason why pollution is terrible.
ReplyDeletePosted By Erica Bonnell(1)
Very informative! It's great to know how many things can influence your child so i can avoid them. Mothers should take these study into more consideration. I feel like a child's lifestyle has already been decided for them before they are even born because of the environment we live in.
DeletePosted by Jen Silva(3)
That's awful. I feel like everything that we learn about the things that we do to the environment hammers home the point that we are hurting ourselves when we hurt it. We need to figure out a way to reconfigure all industry in order to still have a planet and a species to inhabit it in the near future
ReplyDeleteMike Selden (3)
Great and imformative study. It is crazy to realize how many different yet preventable factors contribute to childhood obesity. Hopefully theses continuing studies will encourage parents to better the lives of their children. Unfortunatley, most of the time the parents cannot move out of the low income, rural and poor air quality cities which emphasize convenient stores with junk food rather than supermarkets or health food stores, all factors which contribute greatly to childhood obesity.
ReplyDeleteWhat you mention is true. The exposure to environment pollutants set the stage for obesity by affecting the bodies ability to hydrolyze fat cells, but the actual environment these children are born into - filled with junk food, lack of exercise, and poor living habits - is the final culprit.
DeletePosted by Laura Moro (2)
fascinating. never thought that the surrounding air could play a huge role in obesity. Now that we know, we have more reasons to want cleaner air. a very groundbreaking piece of news.
ReplyDelete-Hermann Kam