Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Obesity is a worldwide pandemic associated with increased morbidity/mortality and high cost for the society. The prevalence of obesity has doubled in more than 70 countries (including developing countries) since 1980. The number of adult subjects with obesity is around 700 million worldwide. The current pandemic in obesity cannot be explained solely by alterations in food intake and/or decrease in exercise. Obesity pandemic coincides with the marked increase of the industrial chemicals in the environment over the past 60 years.

Obesogens: Humans are constantly exposed to a variety of endocrine disrupting chemicals through air, water, and food. Several categories of chemicals are involved (industrial, agricultural, residential, and pharmaceutical). Some endocrine disrupting chemicals have short half-lives (minutes or hours) while others, highly lipophilic (accumulating in the adipose tissue), have long half-lives (years). Several endocrine disruptors can alter regulation of energy balance and weight control to favor weight gain and obesity. The exposed subjects are predisposed to weight gain despite normal diet and exercise. These endocrine disruptors are called obesogens. The list of obesogenic chemicals is continuously growing. Obesogens promote obesity by inducing an increase in the number of adipocytes and storage of fat. The metabolic programming of obesity risk may be linked to in utero or lifetime exposure to obesogens. Exposure to obesogens during development can play a role in the development of obesity later in life (developmental origins of adult disease). The developing fetus and neonate are very sensitive to perturbation by obesogens. In many cases, the damage is irreversible due to lack of protective mechanisms such as DNA repair, competent immune system, or mature blood/brain barrier.

Conclusion: The prevalence of obesity is increasing continuously. Diet and physical activity are not the only contributing factors. The developmental exposures to obesogens play a role in the obesity pandemic. Obesogens alter metabolic processes and predispose some subjects to weight gain and obesity. Urgent interventions, particularly among children, are needed. Exposure to obesogens should be reduced or avoided especially in fetus and neonate.