It’s common knowledge that eating healthy food and exercising can help people maintain a healthy weight, but there’s another factor at play of which many people are unaware: chemicals in the products they buy and use that can contribute to fat accumulation. According to Kathleen Schuler, senior policy analyst at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, an emerging body of science links an increased risk of obesity to chemicals that disrupt hormones, especially during prenatal life and in childhood. She says one of the effects can be changing the cellular pathways to accumulate fat, so they're finding many of the chemicals that we are exposed to every  day are what we call ‘obesogens’ – chemicals that contribute to fat accumulation. Schuler says chemical obesogens can be found in everything from electronics to nonstick cookware and more. It is estimated that one-third of American children and two-thirds of adults in this country are overweight or obese.

SOURCE: WMSR Radio