The Role of Endocrine Disruptors in Childhood Obesity: Unraveling the Obesogens

Obesity is a disease, acknowledged by WHO, characterized as an epidemic in a worldwide range, particularly in Western countries. Childhood obesity, lately, has raised major concerns. Among the complex factors contributing to obesity, environmental factors, such as endocrine disruptors, are gaining attention as emerging contributors to obesity.

Toxicants, such as bisphenol A, phthalates, perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, heavy metals, and pesticides, have been associated with increases in the incidence of obesity in human populations, animals, and cellular models. These EDCs, called obesogens, disrupt the endocrine system across multiple pathways. They influence appetite, promote inflammation, disrupt the ecology and function of the gut microbiome, and induce transgenerational epigenetic changes. At the cellular level, they act as agonists of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ, steroid, and aryl hydrocarbon receptors.

Children are exposed to obesogens through multiple metabolic pathways, which contribute directly and indirectly to the development of obesity. Despite the increasing evidence, more studies are needed to identify additional obesogens and elucidate their mechanisms of action to minimize exposure to pediatric and adolescent populations.