Phthalates now linked to fat, related health risks

Rochester study connects common chemicals to rising obesity rates

Exposure to phthalates, a common chemical found in everything from plastics to soaps, already has been connected to reproductive problems and now, for the first time, is linked to abdominal obesity and insulin resistance in adult males, according to a study by the University of Rochester Medical Center.

The research adds to the growing suspicion that low-dose exposures to phthalates and other common chemicals may be reducing testosterone levels or function in men, and thereby contributing to rising obesity rates and an epidemic of related disorders, such as Type 2 diabetes, said lead author Richard Stahlhut, M.D., M.P.H., a Preventive Medicine resident at the University of Rochester. The study was published today in the online edition of the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.