Environmental chemicals and endocrine disruptors are increasingly viewed as significant players in obesity and metabolic disease. Chemicals like bisphenol A (BPA), phthalates, persistent organic pollutants (POPs), and other obesogens can interfere with hormonal control of appetite, fat deposition, and energy expenditure. Exposure to these chemicals during critical periods of development may set individuals up for disproportionate adiposity, metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and obesity at later points in life. Understanding how endocrine disruptors affect the pathways that underlie adipogenesis, neuroendocrine signaling, and metabolic regulation, ultimately provides an avenue for effective prevention. This session will review recent science on chemical exposures, the role they may play in the obesity epidemic, and the associated policy and behavior change implications for addressing chemical exposure to improve the health impacts of environmental obesogens.
Connect, collaborate, and contribute to driving excellence in obesity research, clinical practice, and public health approaches globally.
