Valley of Drums -- environmental toxins--wikimedia commons[/caption]Recently health news reported that Americans are among the most obese in the world. The United States also suffers from an epidemic of diabetes. Could environmental factors be involved?
Environmental scientists pose this question for research. What they found is that environmental chemicals may indeed be contributing factors to epidemics of diabetes and obesity, according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, a division of the National Toxicology Program.
Researchers have discovered that certain types of chemical closures may actually increase obesity risk by altering the development of neural circuits that regulate eating behavior. This issue may become greater when combined with a diet that is high in fat carbohydrates and calories.
While experts stress the need for daily exercise and sunshine, weather can interfere with good intentions. So as temperature extremes occur, people respond by exercising less and eating more, especially when the weather is cold. Scientists believe there are interacting variables between human behavior in relationship to climate change.
Like other nations, the United States is making the hard choices, and some of those choices are whether to provide a short-term fix or a longer-term control. That means going green may indeed improve overall health if it means reducing environmental toxins which consequently interfere with human health.
Science continues to examine health concerns in relationship to patterns in the environment. Specific links to diabetes are still being studied that involve the questions raised by the present research.
