Obesogens

What are obesogens? They are nasty chemicals like BPA found in lots of things that cause muscle and other cells to change into cells that store fat. They mess up our hormonal systems and do all kinds of bad things to us. Traceable amounts of them are found in 93% of Americans. Yucky.

The first round of advice is to buy organic and avoid pesticides and chemicals. Well that's what they have been telling us for years - eat organic. But the chemicals are found in everything from non stick pans, children's toys, plastic shower curtains, to plastic bottles, canned goods and cosmetics.

The second round of advice, also contained in the article, is that Congress should change laws getting these chemicals out of the system.

My advice is vote with our feet and avoid chemicals. If I could afford it I would buy all organic food but its just too expensive to be perfectly honest. I would also throw out my non stick pans and buy stainless ones. I would skip canned food and buy all fresh. I don't use a lot of canned food these days other than canned beans (because the dried ones take forever) and canned tomatoes to put in food I'm cooking. (A question: if I buy canned organic tomatoes and beans does the organic part get canceled out by being put in a can?)

Could I eliminate plastic in my life? I carry a refillable plastic BPA-free bottle of water every day. This is filtered tap water which goes through a Brita filter (plastic) and put in a plastic pitcher in my fridge. I don't use plastic toys because I am a little old for that but I do use plastic knitting needles and plastic crochet hooks. I could throw those all out and buy bamboo ones. The cat has plastic food dishes. He's 16 year old (or 82 in cat years) and at this point his food dishes will probably outlast him (sadly). Does he need new dishes? These are the first dishes he has had that he can't push across the floor and are the right size for him.

And everything that gets thrown out will, at least partially, end up in a landfill or get recycled and reused in a third world country - and when that happens we are just sending our problems to someone else. That's sort of like sending the garbage in New York to a landfill in New Jersey.

But back to obesogens as I have completely gotten off the topic and how to avoid them. I guess I'll try the organic route so more. I will also reevaluate all my plastic stuff and replace what I can when it wears out. Maybe I'll write my congressman too.