Obesity has become a major global problem. Since 1975, the number of overweight people around the world has almost tripled, according to the World Health Organization. Many people believe that the reasons are clear: eating too much fatty or sugary food, sitting too much, and not getting enough exercise.
These are definitely important factors. But what if there is something else that we cannot see — something hiding in our everyday environment — that is also making us gain weight?
A scientist named Barbara E. Corkey has introduced an interesting idea. She believes that certain chemicals, which she calls “obesogens,” could be partly responsible for the obesity epidemic.
Corkey is an experienced researcher who has taught medicine and biochemistry for many years. She suggests that these hidden chemicals could be quietly affecting how our bodies store fat.
Obesogens are chemicals that might interfere with the normal ways our bodies handle energy and fat. These chemicals have been part of our environment for about 50 years. They can be found in many places — in the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe, and even in the plastic containers we use every day.
Corkey believes that these chemicals could trick our bodies into thinking we need more fat than we actually do. They might make us feel hungry even when we have eaten enough. She explains this using the idea of the “redox state” inside our bodies.
This is a kind of internal system that normally helps us know when we need energy and when we have enough. If obesogens disturb this system, our bodies might start to store more fat without us even realizing it.
There is also a connection between these chemicals and ultra-processed foods — foods like chips, candy, and sugary drinks. These foods are very different from natural foods like fruits and vegetables.
They are packed with ingredients and chemicals that help them last longer on store shelves or taste better. Research has shown that people who eat a lot of ultra-processed foods often have higher body weights. This raises the question: are obesogens part of the reason why?
Besides food, obesogens could come from many other sources. They might be in fertilizers used to grow crops, plastics that wrap our food, or pollution in the air. Since these chemicals are everywhere, it may be very hard to avoid them completely.
If Corkey’s idea is correct, it could change how we think about and treat obesity. Right now, most advice about weight loss focuses on eating less and exercising more. These are good steps, but they might not be enough if chemicals are secretly working against us. If obesogens are truly part of the problem, we might need new strategies.
The first step would be to figure out exactly which chemicals are obesogens. Then, we would have to find ways to remove them from our environment or protect our bodies from their effects.
It is important to remember that this idea is still being studied. Corkey’s research has been published in a respected scientific journal, but more studies are needed to prove whether obesogens really play a big role in weight gain.
Other scientists will need to test her theory carefully. Science works this way — an idea is shared, other experts check it, and over time, we find out how strong the evidence is.
If future research confirms that obesogens are a major cause of obesity, it could completely change how we fight the obesity epidemic. It would mean that personal willpower alone is not the only answer. It would mean we also have to fix our environment to help people stay healthy.
The next time you think about weight struggles, it might help to remember that the reasons can be more complicated than just what you eat or how much you exercise. Invisible chemicals in the world around us could also be affecting our bodies. Staying informed and following new research could give us better tools to protect our health in the future.
If you care about weight loss, please read studies that hop extract could reduce belly fat in overweight people, and early time-restricted eating could help lose weight.
For more health information, please see recent studies about a simple path to weight loss, and results showing a non-invasive treatment for obesity and diabetes.
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