The Shocking Way Food Packaging Is Linked to Weight Gain, Study Finds
By Lekhak February 07, 2022
What's around your food may be just as important as what's in it.
When trying to reduce weight, it's usually a good idea to check the nutritional info on the packaging. However, according to recent research published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, one factor you might be overlooking is the packaging itself.
Bisphenols and phthalates, two chemicals found in plastic products, have been shown in an earlier study to disrupt metabolism in a way that promotes obesity, according to researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). However, they point out in this study that those are only a minor portion of the compounds found in plastics.
They looked at 34 everyday objects with 629 unique chemical compounds, including yogurt containers, kitchen sponges, and beverage bottles, to see whether others could play a role, and found 11 that could mess with metabolism as well.
"The key message is that any ordinary plastic product could include a mix of substances that could contribute to excess weight or lead to obesity," says Martin Wagner, Ph.D. associate professor in NTNU's Department of Biology. "This is especially true because these chemicals don't always stay in the material; they can seep out into food and drink and be consumed."
According to Wagner, the extent to which plastic packaging leads to weight gain is unknown, making deciding whether you should avoid it altogether more complex.
