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A new study sheds light on the link between human exposure to PFAS – these famous so-called “eternal” chemical pollutants – and obesity, a new scourge of the 21st century.
According to projections by the World Obesity Federation, half the globe will be hit by obesity by 2035. If the causes of this health problem are diverse and varied, a Danish study published this Wednesday, April 19 in the newspaper obesity reveals that exposure to PFAS contributes greatly to this. Explanations.
PFAS ‘may cause weight gain’
Scientists assure it: the high presence of PFAS in the body – these famous chemical substances present in many everyday products – leads to strong weight gain.
To reach this conclusion, the researchers looked at data from a European cohort of 1,800 candidates. The impact of five diets on the weight of 381 obese participants was then assessed.
Result ? Independent of diet, the PFAS found in the blood of the candidates have “probable obesogenic activity“, say the researchers.
They “may lead to weight gain and thus contribute to the obesity pandemic“, they add.
For all these reasons, the fight against PFAS must be intensified.
“These pollutants deserve attention in public health efforts to control the obesity pandemic.”concludes the research team.
Omnipresent pollutants in the environment
As a reminder, PFAS, these extremely persistent chemical compounds, are found almost everywhere in the environment: textiles, food packaging, fire-fighting foams, non-stick coatings, cosmetics, phytosanitary products, etc.
Food, especially seafood, are significant sources of exposure.
“For common foods, the highest concentrations of PFOA and PFOS are found in crustaceans and molluscs. Water intended for human consumption (EDCH) can also be a source of contamination“, specifies the ANSES.
It is therefore difficult to protect oneself against them… even if on the legislative level, the dangerousness of these substances is beginning to be taken into account. Thus, the European Chemicals Agency should soon assess the proposal submitted by five Member States (Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden) and supported by France, aimed at banning PFAS. But at best, regulations should not intervene before 2025. In France, the government has also seized ANSES (National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety) asking it to “implement places a watch and determines the standards to be respected”.