Beyond Diet and Exercise: Meet the chemicals keeping us from losing weight
If you're struggling to lose weight despite following a healthy diet and exercise regimen, you might be up against something more than just calories - and most doctors are not even talking about it
If you’ve been diligently watching what you eat, working out regularly, and still find the bathroom scale stuck at a higher number than you’d like it to be, you’re not alone—and you’re not crazy. Many of us have the same struggles. But why?
Weight is not just about calories in and calories out.
Of course, calories matter, but something is jeopardizing our efforts, and it’s time to shine a light on it: obesogens, or environmental chemicals that are quietly messing with our metabolism and making it harder to keep those extra pounds off.
A Growing Epidemic
In the United States, 40% of adults1 and 20% of children aged 2-19 are classified as obese based on their body mass index (BMI).
This epidemic isn’t just limited to humans—even pets and urban wildlife like rats are tipping the scales more than ever before.2 3
What’s causing this widespread weight gain? As Dr. Robert H. Lustig from the University of California, San Francisco, points out, “Whatever is happening is happening to everyone, suggesting an environmental trigger.”
The Obesogen Hypothesis
While many in the medical field still focus solely on poor diet and lack of exercise as the primary causes of obesity, a growing body of research and even government organizations like the NIEHS (the environmental health arm of the National Institute of Health) are considering chemical “obesogens” as important contributors to the obesity epidemic.
These are dietary, pharmaceutical, and industrial compounds that can alter how our bodies process energy, store fat, regulate metabolism, and even our hunger and satiety signals.
The idea that environmental chemicals could contribute to obesity gained traction after Paula Baillie-Hamilton published a groundbreaking article in 2002, highlighting evidence that low-dose chemical exposures could lead to weight gain.4
What's even more concerning is that research suggests these obesogens can have trans-generational effects if exposure happens during critical developmental periods in utero.5 In other words, prenatal exposure to obesogens could raise the risk of obesity not just in the child but also in future generations.
Obesogens: A Closer Look
Let’s dive into what these sneaky chemicals may be doing to your body based on the research so far.
Bisphenol A (BPA):
Where You’ll Find It: BPA is found in plastics, such as plastic water bottles, food containers, the lining of canned foods, and thermal paper receipts.
Why It’s a Problem: BPA has been associated with insulin resistance, increased risk of type 2 diabetes, and weight gain.6
Phthalates:
Where You’ll Find Them: Phthalates are added to plastics to make them pliable, so think squishy plastic things like rubber duckies, shower curtains, and also scented personal care products and air fresheners.
Why It’s a Problem: It’s been associated with lower sperm count, lower testosterone, reduced fertility in women, insulin resistance, Type 2 diabetes, and weight gain.7 8 9 10 11
Tributyltin (TBT):
Where You’ll Find It: Banned in 2008, TBT was used in marine paints and PVC piping, and has made its way into seafood, despite the fact it is no longer used.
Why It’s a Problem: TBT can turn stem cells into fat cells, increasing both the number and size of fat cells in our body, switching on genes which turn our bodies into fat-producing machines.12
Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs):
Where You’ll Find Them: PCBs were banned decades ago, but they’re still present in the environment because they do not break down and can accumulate in fatty foods like meat, fish, and dairy.
Why It’s a Problem: PCBs have been associated with thyroid issues (and the thyroid gland is the master regulator of our metabolism), breast cancer, polycystic ovary syndrome, insulin resistance, and weight gain.13 14 15 16 17
Flame Retardants:
Where You’ll Find Them: These chemicals are in furniture, electronics, mattresses, and believe it or not, kid’s PJs!
Why It’s a Problem: Flame retardants interfere with thyroid hormones, which regulate our metabolism and weight.
PFAs:
Where you’ll find them: Non-stick cookware, takeaway boxes and paper cups, water-resistant clothing, dental floss
Why it’s a problem: People with higher PFAs in their bodies have been shown to regain more weight after weight loss attempts using diet. Not only that, it also interferes with our thyroid hormones, altering our metabolism, and has been associated with insulin resistance.18 19 20
What can we do to avoid them?
While early-life exposure to obesogens may lay the foundation for obesity, it’s not all doom and gloom.
Reducing your exposure to these chemicals, even in adulthood, can still make a difference. I’m living proof. Below, I share my top six strategies for reducing our daily exposure ⬇️.
Now, while avoidance is key, it’s equally important to remember that our bodies come equipped with detox organs. We won’t be able to avoid every exposure 100%, and that’s okay. The key is to support your natural detox pathways, especially if you’re making changes like starting a new diet or exercise routine to lose weight. Optimizing our innate detox organs is imperative to avoid weight regain. And no, I’m not talking about gimmicky pills or shakes – that’s not how detoxification works. Pills and shakes won’t work unless you lay the right foundations with diet and lifestyle.
Your liver, gut, and kidneys need the right nutrients to function optimally. Your lymphatic system and sweat glands need the right lifestyle strategies to perform effectively.
If you’re ready for a deeper dive, my signature course offers a step-by-step blueprint for:
a) Reducing everyday toxic exposures
b) Using foods from your kitchen and proven lifestyle strategies to support detox organs and help eliminate what you can’t avoid
❤️ Check out my blueprint for a healthier, better version of you! ❤️
To kickstart optimizing your detox organs, here are three easy things you can start with: