Chemical Concerns

Not one…but two different studies are just out in the journal Pediatrics…pointing to concerns over chemicals in plastic products that may impact kids.The first focuses on phthalates…and a possible connection to insulin resistance. Since insulin resistance can open the door to diabetes, researchers tested urine samples from 7-hundred-66 young people 12 to 19 years old… looking for signs of phthalate exposure, looking specifically at the phthalate, DEHP. They found the higher the level of DEHP, the more insulin resistance they saw.The second study focuses on BPA…and how it may lead kids towards a life of obesity. Bisphenol A has been blamed for infertility issues, plus weight problems in adults… but it hasn’t been studied in kids before. Using data from nearly 11-thousand children between the ages of 6 and 18….. the researchers found that higher BPA levels also meant higher odds of obesity…and abnormal waist to height ratio. In both cases, researchers would like to see more study to confirm that these products negatively affect children’s health.I’m Dr. Cindy Haines of HealthDay TV with the latest breakthroughs from the world of medicine.