Obesogens are artificial chemicals believed to contribute to obesity.
They are found in various food containers, baby bottles, toys, plastics, cookware and cosmetics.
When these chemicals enter your body, they can disrupt its normal function and promote fat gain (1Trusted Source).
Over 20 chemicals have been identified as obesogens and this article covers some of the most important ones.
Obesogens are a category of endocrine disruptors — chemicals that can interfere with your hormones (1Trusted Source).
Some endocrine disruptors exert their effects by activating estrogen receptors, which can cause harmful effects in both women and men.
Estrogen receptors are thought to be “promiscuous,” meaning that they will bind to anything that looks even remotely like an estrogen (2Trusted Source).
Some obesogens have not only been linked to obesity, but also to birth defects, premature puberty in girls, demasculinization in men, breast cancer and other disorders.
Unfortunately, many of these effects happen in the womb. For example, when pregnant women are exposed to these chemicals, their child’s risk of becoming obese later in life may increase (3Trusted Source).
Below is a discussion of 5 obesogenic chemicals that may be present in your home at this very moment.