According to a recent study published in Obesity, women’s exposure to polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) chemicals was linked to an increased risk of obesity for both their daughters and granddaughters.
In short:
- PCBs can be passed on through the placenta in pregnant women, exposing both their daughters (as fetuses) and future granddaughters (as eggs present in the fetus).
- For the families examined in this study, obesity rates increased from 9% within the originally-exposed generation to 23% for their daughters (second generation), and 32% for their granddaughters (third generation).
- Obesity in the second generation also independently contributed to the granddaughters’ risk for obesity, suggesting that this cycle may continue past the third generation.
Key quote:
“Women of reproductive age are a critical target population for reducing exposure to suspected obesogens … Support for clinician education will be essential to implement this strategy.”
Why this matters:
Because PCBs increase the amount of fat stored in the body, they’re considered obesogens — chemicals that disrupt metabolism and increase the risk of obesity. The original PCB exposures measured in this study took place before the U.S. banned the chemical in 1979; however, PCBs were still detected in over 70% of U.S. women of childbearing age as recently as 2004. The results of this study emphasize fetal development as a critical window of vulnerability to chemical exposures, which can lead to life-long (and in this case, multigenerational) health consequences.
Related EHN coverage: See more on obesogens from Dr. Jerry Heindel, Director of Healthy Environment and Endocrine Disruptor Strategies (HEEDS), a program of Environmental Health Sciences:
- Op-ed: Untangling the causes of obesity
- Opinion: Researchers and clinicians acknowledge the role of chemicals in spurring obesity
More resources: HEEDS coordinated three comprehensive scientific reviews on obesogens, a workshop on obesogens, and is currently collaborating with scientists to encourage more research on obesogens’ full range of potential health impacts.
