What are obesogens? A secret metabolism killer is lurking around your house

Speaking of being stuck in a rut…with guts.

You’ve tried everything to lose weight—you eat healthy, exercise more, manage stress better and get enough sleep—but nothing seems to move the needle on the scale. Are you paying attention to your chemical exposure?

Obesogens are endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that sabotage weight loss efforts by altering fat cell development and disrupting energy balance.

These chemicals have fancy names like bisphenol A, phthalates and polybrominated diphenyl ether – and unfortunately, they’re pretty much everywhere.

“They’re in the water, they’re in the food, they’re in the house,” Dr. Robert Lustig, a professor in the Department of Pediatrics and a member of the Institute for Health Policy Studies at UC San Francisco, told the Post.

Here’s everything you need to know about obesogens—including steps you can take to reduce exposure—so you can finally tip the scale in your favor.

How do obesogens work?

EDCs mimic, block or interfere with hormones that regulate growth, reproduction, metabolism and mood.

This is a growing problem because they are in everyday items – such as food packaging, cosmetics, clothing and cleaning supplies – so it is almost impossible to prevent them. You take it into your body, breathe it in or absorb it.

“If endocrine-disrupting chemicals change DNA, they’re called mutagens,” Lustig said. “If they differentiate or develop into adipocytes, they are called obesogens.”

Adipocytes are fat cells. Obesogens can increase the number and size of fat cells in the body and promote the storage of calories as fat instead of being burned for energy.

These scale shifters can also hijack hormonal control of metabolism, appetite, and satiety.

How sure are we that these chemicals affect weight?

Lustig said the scientific evidence linking obesity to obesity is “very strong.”

There is “clear causation” in animal studies, he added, although causation in humans is difficult to demonstrate.

“Randomized controlled trials are impossible and would be illegal,” Lustig said, citing the ethical concerns of exposing humans to substances that cause long-term health damage.

“We have a few historical studies that show that prenatal exposure to certain disabilities leads to obesity later in life.”

Which are the most powerful obesogens?

“The chemicals that are the strongest obesogens are the ones that act as estrogen,” Lustig said.

“Many of them are insecticides because they disrupt the life cycle of insects,” he continued. “Others include organic household compounds like vinyl flooring, plasticizers and flame retardants. And of course, the big kahuna—fructose, the sweet molecule in sugar.”

Obsogens include bisphenol A, which is found in plastic products and the lining of canned foods; phthalates in plastics, perfumes and personal care products; “Forever chemicals” in non-stick cookware, waterproof fabrics and food packaging; parabens in beauty products; and argantine compounds in pesticides and PVC pipes.

How to best avoid obesogens?

Lustig recommends reducing exposure to harmful air pollutants, filtering water, living away from highways and high-traffic roads, buying organic foods, and eating less sugar.