What are obesogens? The sneaky metabolism killer lurking around your home

Talking about being stuck in a rut … with a gut.You’ve tried everything to lose weight — you’re eating healthier, exercising more, managing stress better and getting adequate sleep — but nothing seems to move the needle on the scale.Have you considered 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 ethers — and unfortunately, they are pretty much everywhere.“They are in the water, they are in the food, they are in the home,” Dr.

Robert Lustig, an emeritus 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.EDCs mimic, block or interfere with hormones that regulate growth, reproduction, metabolism and mood.They are a growing problem because they’re in everyday items — like food packaging, cosmetics, clothes and cleaning supplies — so they’re almost impossible to avoid.You ingest, inhale or absorb them into your body.

“If endocrine-disrupting chemicals alter DNA, they are called mutagens,” Lustig said.“If they differentiate or grow 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 burning them for energy.These scale shifters can also hijack hormonal control of metabolism, appetite and satiety.Lustig said the scientific evidence linking obesogens to obesity is “very strong.”There’s “clear causation” in animal studies, he added, though it’s harder to demonstrate causation in humans.“Randomized controlled trials are impossible and would be illeg...