6.7 Obesogens

The produce that is locally grown in my area are apples, oranges, stone fruits, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, corn, lettuce and several others. 

Through my work in the nutrition and physical activity promotion program we stress the importance of eating locally as a healthier, tastier, and less costly alternative than buying at the supermarket. We educate the community about the different programs in the community like Farmer’s market, community gardens and Freshest Cargo as resources for obtaining local seasonal foods. Elementary schools in Richmond (West County) are beginning to incorporate the eat local concept in their lunchrooms after seeing the success Conscious Kitchen had in Marin County. We should all incorporate and eat local produce as often as possible. Not only are there less pesticides in our fruits and vegetables which is beneficial for our bodies but is also helping the environment. By buying local produce we are stimulating and putting money back in our local economy and helping our farmers produce more. 

 Harvest Calendar for California

 The article, “Obesogens: An Environmental Link to Obesity,” gave a comprehensive scientific overview of what obesogens are, it’s role as an endocrine disruptor, the impact on children and adults, and gave a brief overview of some chemicals that have been associated with weight gain in mice. The first time I heard the word obesogens was the first day of environmental health lecture when Professor Sattler said I would be interested in this topic. She was right. As a health educator, I advocate for healthy fit lifestyles not knowing there is an additional environmental factor affecting individuals that are overweight or obese. It was interesting to read about the various mechanisms different obesogens influence.  Some obesogens have the capability of increasing the number of fat cells, making fat cells larger, due to the fact that chemical compounds fit perfectly in receptors and can activate adipose cells. Often in state approved curriculum we tell the community that frozen, fresh, dried and canned food all give you the nutritional benefits the body needs. However that is not accurate after reading this article. Canned fruits and vegetables (even if its 100% in fruit juice with no additional sugar additives) may be lined with BPA which could potentially contribute to a person gaining weight. Those most susceptible to weight gain and passing on the epigenetic changes based on research is a pregnant woman. What I learned from this article was new information. Information I plan to apply widely. Although I am required by CDPH to teach a specific curriculum, I will emphasis to the community to eat fresh local produce and limit/avoid canned fruits/vegetables.

  The obesogen that is the most interesting to me is tributyltin (TBT).It is an EPA toxicity level II toxin that is harmful to ocean species and organisms. It is most commonly used in anti-fouling paints to preserve ships longer from damage caused by organisms sticking to it. It is an endocrine disruptor that affects androgens and turns male hormone properties into female hormone properties. This causes the now females to be infertile due to the high levels of male hormones.