Environmental chemicals in the development of diabetes and obesity

The escalating rates of diabetes and obesity are some of the most costly and widespread epidemics of today. In addition to lifestyle factors, a growing body of scientific research suggests that exposure to industrial chemicals can contribute to the development of diabetes and obesity across the lifespan. In 2011, the US National Toxicology Program/National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NTP/NIEHS) convened a workshop, “The Role of Environmental Chemicals in the Development of Diabetes and Obesity.” Over 50 experts gathered to evaluate the current scientific literature for consistency and biological plausibility, and to provide advice for a future research agenda. The NTP/NIEHS workshop concluded: “Overall, the existing literature was judged to provide plausibility, varying from suggestive to strong, that exposure to environmental chemicals may contribute to the epidemic of diabetes and/or obesity." The workshop identified linkages between diabetes and several chemical exposures, especially arsenic and persistent organic pollutants. The workshop also supported the developmental obesogen hypothesis, which states that chemical exposures during development may increase the risk of later obesity. Subsequent peer-reviewed research has continued to support these conclusions. Recognizing the involvement of chemical exposures in the development of diabetes and obesity reveals new possible avenues for risk reduction and prevention. Interventions that prevent or limit exposures to toxicants across the lifespan, from the prenatal period through adulthood, are a valuable public health strategy, and may help prevent diabetes and obesity, in addition to other conditions linked to these chemical exposures. This session will present the current state of research on environmental chemicals in diabetes and obesity, future research needs, policy implications, as well as resources for patient education on risk reduction.