Chemicals Are Making Us Fat
Way back before I really and truly understood the limitless benefits of living a wellness warrior lifestyle, vanity was the driving force behind so many of my lifestyle decisions. Which is why I believe the message in this article will have such a wide reach. If you won’t refrain from eating chemicals to save your ass, maybe you will do so in order to save the size of it.
In 2002, Dr Paula Baillie-Hamilton of Stirling University in Scotland made the observation that obesity rates have climbed in unison with chemical use over the previous 40 years. To phrase this even more simply: chemicals are making us fat.
Chemicals are everywhere. In the food we eat, the water we drink, the plastics we eat from, the pills we take, the products we clean with, the beauty and body care products we use – and pretty much everywhere else you look. But the thing is, we are not designed to consume chemicals. And when we do, for prolonged periods of time, things are bound to get messy.
Why do chemicals make us fat?
There is plenty of scientific jargon that could be called upon to answer this question. For instance, the fact that they are endocrine disruptors – synthetic chemicals that mimic and interfere with natural hormones, causing weight gain. But here is an even simpler truth: our bodies are trying to protect us. Our bodies are so clever that they produce fat cells to protect our essential organs from chemical contamination. If the fat wasn’t there to protect us, we would be poisoned.
When you look at it like this, fat is your friend. However, there is a better way. Don’t consume chemicals! That way you will be healthy and at a healthy weight that is perfect for you.
Here are some of the chemical culprits and the reasons why they make us fat:
(This list has been taken from an article by nutrition expert Lisa Petty)
BPA
Although bisphenol A has been banned from plastic baby bottles, the substance is still found in plastic food containers as well as canned food linings and beverage bottles. BPA has been shown to trigger the conversion of cells to fat cells and also to increase the amount of stored fat in those cells.
Phthalates
Used in some plastics and nail polish, phthalates, specifically diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP), have been shown to alter insulin and leptin levels (which play a role in programming the body’s metabolic system) in rats. One study of a cross-section of US men found statistically significant correlations between concentrations of several prevalent phthalate metabolites with abdominal obesity and insulin resistance.
PBDEs
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are a group of chemicals used as flame retardants in a wide range of products, including furniture, TVs, stereos, computers, carpets, and curtains, and, to a lesser degree, in some textiles, adhesives, sealants, and coatings. In rat studies PBDEs have been found to significantly disrupt insulin production, causing the rats’ metabolism to slow to a rate that caused them to become obese.
DDE
Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) is a breakdown product of the banned pesticide, DDT. We can be exposed to DDE through food, in the air, and in our water. In a review of exposure to chemicals with endocrine-disrupting abilities and obesity in humans, high blood levels of DDE early in pregnancy were associated with infants who were twice as likely to experience rapid weight gain in their first six months—and 60 percent more likely to have high BMI scores at 14 months.
WHAT CAN WE DO?
Avoid chemicals as much as possible. Use glass to store your food and drinks, don’t ever drink from plastic water bottles, use certified organic products and eat certified organic whole foods. Read the labels on everything you consume and start to be conscious of just how many chemicals you are exposing your body to. Be responsible for your body. Care about your body. And do whatever you can to live a natural, organic, clean lifestyle.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic. Did you know that chemicals are causing weight gain? What do you do to avoid chemicals in your life?
Positive affirmation for the day: The universe supports me with all of the abundance I need.
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POSTED IN: chemicals, obesity, toxins, weight loss
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Love this post. I’ll be the first to admit that I always look to clean up the way that I eat because it has an immediate effect on the way that your body feels and performs, but I don’t tend to think beyond that. I think that I justify drinking from a water bottle because it seems almost like an old wives tale that it isn’t great for you! Thanks for yet another informative article. Love starting my day by checking you bog. x
Jess this is a wonderful post…and soooooo true. I can vouch for this as several years ago I was struggling to lose a little excess weight. It wasnt until I made the simple shift of making sure I got all my vitamins, got rid of toxins and chemicals and dropped the negative beliefs. Once I did these simple and easy things the weight fell off. Thanks for highlighting this.
Chemicals cause toxidy in your body. If your body is toxic, toxins sit in the fat cells making it virtually impossible to break down the fat cell until the toxin is removed.
Have a great day
xxx
A great way to remove and break down chemicals is to dry body brush every day and start the morning with warm water and lemon. And the most important thing is drink three litres of water every day to flush out the toxins.
What about tap water (with chlorine and flouride) vs. bottled water? (cannot buy a filter right now)
I just thought you might be interested in the website of the Environmental Working Group. They have quite an extensive database of products (household/beauty etc) and chemicals used in products and their toxicity information. Though they are based in the US, so not too many acutal Australian made brands are on the list, but you can look up any chemical on an ingredeitns list and see the toxcicity rating. I am now at a point where I look up the ingredients of everything before I purchase anymore.
http://grist.org/food/theres-arsenic-in-your-rice-and-heres-how-it-got-there/
Cheers!
Good stuff Jess – very simple message. we drink from stainless steel bottles or glass. we cook from scratch and don’t have processed food. i can eat cake if i make it from eggs, butter, milk etc…. but i bloat up if it’s a packet cake. I totally agree with your message and I write to Coles/Woolworths etc routinely to ask for clear labelling – esp of GMO and country of origin. I never eat food made in China because they don’t legislate against chemical pollution the way we do. It comes back to learning how to cook! But geez it feels good 
. Claire
Great post hun very informative! It freaks me out the amount of chemicals are in so many every day products, but more so blows my mind – how do these companies sleep at night knowing they are literally poisoning their consumers. xx
We’re both CFS sufferers, and both Cavewoman Pru & Cavewoman Jo know that when something toxic and bad is going on in our bodies, we gain weight quickly. Once I personally (Jo) gained 5 kilos in just a few weeks. If your liver can’t filter a toxin out of your body quickly, the body will store it as fat so it’s not a danger to other vital organs. Pru’s weight goes up and down like a yo-yo.
The kicker is, that when you start feeling better and you lose the weight, the toxin is then released back in to the body to be filtered out anyway. Sooner or later, you’re gonna pay for filling your body with garbage, so it’s best that you don’t.
What does one do when on Holidays in another country and you cant avoid drinking out of plastic water bottles? any suggestions
It’s a common misconception that BPA is in disposable plastic water bottles. It isn’t. BPA is usually just found in polycarbonate, which is rarely if ever used in water bottles anymore. I’m sure there are other, as yet unknown things in the bottles, but tha’ts another topic.
The lesser of two evils is to drink clean water from a plastic bottle.
Interesting. I thought BPA was in thermal printed cash register receipts too? Is that fact or fallacy?
Pretty sure it’s in the thermal paper too, but unless you’re eating it or standing over it all day breathing in the fumes, I wouldn’t lose sleep over that one. It’s canned food you want to watch out for. There’s a limited amount of bpa free canned food available if you Google for it.
Yes, I agree with this, and some good health food shops sell plastic water bottles that they absolutely guarantee contain no nasties like BPA. I got mine at The Green Garage in Byron Bay.
Omitted to say I agreed with the comment made about BPA no longer being used in the manufacture of plastic water bottles. Don’t know anything about whether it’s in thermal printed cash register receipts .
Jess, awesome post! To what extent do you think cleaning supplies are harmful?
When I’m at home, I do my best to switch my family to only plant-based products… unfortunately now I’m back at uni and my flatmates bought the nasty chemical cocktail stuff to clean the kitchen and bathroom. Ugh. Can’t breathe those fumes!!!
Get yourself some Enjo, vinegar & bi-carb soda. Replace your dishwashing liquid and dishwasher powder and laundy detergents with natural altenatives. If you’re lucky enough to have a supermarket that stocks ECOstore, it’s great, otherwise, just Google natural cleaning products and you’ll find what you’re looking for.
I love my Enjo.
Great post Jess.
Thank you
I am so into this topic! This was the first reason as to why I changed my diet to a whole vegan diet.
So many of my friends say theyd rather have chemicals then a big ass, but they don’t understand that it’s the chemicals that are putting on weight.
They also make you crave more sugary foods aswell.
Excellent post! A wonderful way to address the issue of internal toxicity is through the power of the WHOLE-body CELLULAR level nutritional cleansing (no hanging out by the bathroom!). That way the body gets to release retained water and excess fat simply because there’s no good reason to hold onto them for the protection. We often see about 15-20 lbs. lost within the very 1st month, while the energy goes through the roof. A great eye opener is the short film called “Are You Toxic?” and can be found at http://tiny.cc/ep57kw.
Wonderful post Jess, thanks.
I used to have a weight issue (anorexia-bulimia that was linked to being a ballet dancer). I’m sure the chemicals didn’t help but the emotions were a big culprit. Glad that’s all behind me and now I enjoy living a clean, organic, natural lifestyle – wooden floors, borax for detergent and cleaning the toilet, along with vinegar and hydrogen peroxide. Love Dr. Bronner’s magic soaps as well, and so glad I learned about the Grandeur water system from you – it’s fantastic to have clean water come out of every faucet in the house.
People perfectly know that food that contain toxins is bad. If I would live in the forest or mountains (away from all this chemical food marketing), it would be much easier to grow my own healthy food and consume it.
Great post!
I don’t think they do. The general population have no idea. Take a look around the media and what’s considered safe and healthy.
Im just wondering if there are any readers out there that can recommend a safe way for me to take my lunch to work? Im currently using tuppaware and plastic containers from the supermarket but wonder how other people get on?
Check out the range of stainless steel lunch boxes and other BPA Free plastic options at Shop Naturally. Same for the drink bottles.
Great post Jess…thank you, I can definately agree with this, in January I cut out all food chemicals and other known chemicals, along with sugar and i dropped 19kg very easily in about 6months, i been trying for years to shift the weight with no success…its such an important point that so few know about or would even consider in weight loss. Usually people on ‘diets’ add more chemicals with all the low fat/ no fat chemical concoctions they consume.
After reading that 60-70% of all products we put on our skin are absorbed into our bloodstream, I ordered some coconut oil. I now use it as a facial and body moisturiser after showering at night. Sure, it feels pretty oily when I put it on (… it IS oil, after all) but when I wake up in the morning, my skin is soft and my face has become very clear.
Hi Jess,
What is an ideal drink bottle for workouts?
What do you want it to do? Squeezable? Straw? Stainless Steel? Plastic? One handed operation? Tell me what you want it to do and I can point you in the right direction. I have road-tested almost every bottle in the country.
I am trying little by little to cut out products that are harmful to my body and that way I can afford to replace everything with organic or natural products. When it was time to buy new shampoo I bought organic. I started going to the farmers market and all my produce I can happily say is organic…and it tastes so much better. I have to spend a few more dollars but it is worth it for my health!
Sadly, the city I live in, Portland, Oregon in the US just passed a vote to start putting fluoride in our drinking water to “protect children’s teeth”. Looks like I may need a water filter next!