Blame Pesticides For Obesity?

Researchers from Michigan State University said that an insecticide used until the 1970s may play a role in obesity in women.

The study looked at the children of 250 mothers who lived along Lake Michigan and ate fish from the lake. The children were tested for DDE, a chemical that shows up when the insecticide DDT breaks down.

Those with what researchers called intermediate levels of exposure weighed an average of 13 pounds more than those with the lowest levels. Those with the highest exposures were 20 pounds heavier than those with the lowest levels.

"What we have found for the first time is exposure to certain toxins by eating fish from polluted waters may contribute to the obesity epidemic in women," said lead study author Janet Osuch.

DDT was banned in 1973, but it remains toxic in fish and other sea life, she said.

"This line of research can transform how we think about the causes of obesity and potentially help us create prenatal tests to show which offspring are at higher risks," she said.

The study also looked at the effects of a second pollutant, PCBs, but found no correlation with weight and body mass index.

It was published in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine.