BPA in new obesity link
The best thing I can say about bisphenol-A is that it's getting easier than ever to avoid as manufacturers make an increasing number of BPA-free products in response to consumer demand.
And the best advice I can give you is to demand BPA-free products yourself -- because this hormone-like chemical found in food and drink containers can wreak havoc on your body.
It's bad news for people of all ages, but new research shows how this junk is particularly dangerous to kids and may even be playing a role in the child obesity epidemic.
The study of 2,838 kids between the ages of 6 and 19 finds that children with the highest levels of BPA also have the highest numbers on the scale -- with white kids facing the biggest risk.
For them, high levels of BPA in the urine made them four times more likely to be obese than children with low levels of the chemical, according to the study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
It's not just because BPA is found in the packaging of unhealthy processed foods, although that's certainly part of it. It's also because BPA has been shown to interfere with your metabolism, making it more likely for the empty calories in those packaged foods to do the maximum damage.
The new study was on kids, but you don't have to be a child yourself to face these risks since other studies have found that BPA can make adults big and fat, too.
Along with increasing the risk of obesity, BPA can also cause developmental problems in children and heart disease in adults. And because it mimics estrogen inside the human body, it's been tied to sexual dysfunction and other hormone-related problems.
The feds say there's not enough evidence of any of these risks, but I have yet to see a legitimate study that proves this stuff is safe. Your best bet is to eliminate all sources of BPA from your diet.
Start by ditching microwaved meals, packaged and processed foods, as well as canned food and drinks -- and don't store any of your leftovers in plastic unless you know it's BPA-free.