Plastic contamination of our food and drink fuels obesity, researchers warn

Plastic contamination of food, drink and even our homes may be fuelling obesity and associated health threats such as heart disease and Type 2 diabetes, researchers warn.

Experts at the University of California have found that some types of plastic contain chemicals that interfere with our hormones.

These endocrine-disrupting chemicals, or EDCs, affect critical biological functions which leave the body more likely to store fat than might be expected based on diet and exercise. Substances which do this are known as obesogens.

These endocrine-disrupting chemicals, or EDCs, affect critical biological functions which leave the body more likely to store fat than might be expected based on diet and exercise

Previous research has established that humans are consuming tiny plastic particles through bottled and tap water, fish, shellfish and even the air we breathe. However, to date, there has been little research on the effects.

Now a team led by a professor of developmental and cell biology, Bruce Blumberg of University of California, has concluded that plastic may be a factor in rising levels of obesity across the world.

‘It’s not just food that is making us fat,’ said Professor Blumberg.

‘Experiments using animal models have shown that exposure to chemicals used in industry and found in plastics, preservatives, pesticides and flame retardants, just to name a few, may be important contributors to the growing number of metabolic disorders – including obesity.’

The professor said a study in his own laboratories found that dibutyltin, or DBT, a chemical used in the manufacture of polyvinyl chloride – better known as PVC – alters glucose metabolism and increases fat storage in mice.

Previous research has established that humans are consuming tiny plastic particles through bottled and tap water, fish, shellfish and even the air we breathe. However, to date, there has been little research on the effects

Previous research has established that humans are consuming tiny plastic particles through bottled and tap water, fish, shellfish and even the air we breathe. However, to date, there has been little research on the effects

He said PVC is widely used in homes and industry while DBT has been found in seafood and house dust, suggesting that exposure may be widespread.

‘We used cells in culture to show that DBT activated two proteins that promote fat cell precursors to become mature cells, leading to more fat cells and increased fat in each,’ he said.

‘In our study, cells exposed to concentrations of DBT that are in the realm of what humans are predicted to be exposed to showed increased fat storage, as well as increased activity of genes involved in fat tissue development.’

The researchers also fed DBT to pregnant mice in their drinking water.

Youths littering our coastline

Nearly half of young adults admit to leaving litter after visiting the beach, a poll has found.

The survey of 2,084 Britons, by YouGov for the charity Keep Britain Tidy, showed that overall almost one in five Britons admit to leaving rubbish at the beach. However, among 18 to 24-year-olds, 42 per cent admitted to leaving litter at the beach.

Nine in ten cases of littering seen during the study occurred next to bins, particularly when they were full and there was already rubbish by them.

The male offspring accumulated more fat when their diet was changed from a low-fat to a slightly higher fat diet compared with animals not exposed to DBT. The effect was not seen in females.

The professor said: ‘This indicates DBT exposure during development and early in life predisposed these animals to become obese.’

He said the findings suggest the debate on the use of plastics needs to go beyond concerns about environmental pollution.

The absence of evidence about the impact of consuming plastic on health led the World Health Organisation to announce an investigation earlier this year.

To date, concerns about plastic have focused on waste and environmental harm. The Daily Mail’s Turn the Tide on Plastic campaign has led businesses and Government to promise radical efforts to cut down on its use.

Chancellor Philip Hammond is expected to use his November Budget to introduce measures to reduce the use of single-use plastic products.

Campaigner, Luke Douglas-Home, of Clear Public Space, who set up the #StirCrazy campaign to eliminate the use of plastic straws, said the US study is one of a number that have drawn a link between plastic and health.

He said research showed that phthalates, which have been used in food packaging, toys, and beauty products, and BPA, which has been used in baby bottles, can interfere with human hormones.

He said: ‘The rise in plastic production and use correlates exactly with the rise in cancers and obesity.’

Balloons that float hundreds of miles to blight holiday beaches

By Miles Dilworth 

Balloons might seem like innocent fun at birthdays and village fetes – but what goes up must come down.

And as these pictures show, the party staples can end up scarring the environment. The Isles of Scilly have been bombarded with deflated balloons that not only spoil the rugged landscape and holiday beaches, but do serious damage to its wildlife. 

In some cases, they have blown or floated hundreds of miles before coming to rest on the archipelago’s shores.

Logos on the balloons reveal they have come from across the UK and Ireland

Astonishingly, one balloon – found 470 miles from Brussels – carried the logo of the Belgian banking group Belfius

Astonishingly, one balloon – found 470 miles from Brussels – carried the logo of the Belgian banking group Belfius (right), another was found from Ireland (left)

Logos on the balloons reveal they have come from across the UK and Ireland. One carried the logo of an estate agent 300 miles away in west London, and another of a cafe 240 miles away in Dublin. Others came from Harpenden in Hertfordshire, Worthing in West Sussex, Portsmouth and Cardiff.

Astonishingly, one balloon – found 470 miles from Brussels – carried the logo of the Belgian banking group Belfius.

Another had apparently travelled from Spain. It carried the phrase ‘te quiero tanto’, meaning ‘I love you so much’.

Most abundant are those given away free with Happy Meals at McDonald’s restaurants. The nearest possible source is 38 miles away in Penzance, Cornwall.

These pictures show, the party staples can end up scarring the environment

Another had apparently travelled from Spain. It carried the phrase ‘te quiero tanto’, meaning ‘I love you so much’

Another had apparently travelled from Spain (right). It carried the phrase ‘te quiero tanto’, meaning ‘I love you so much’

Balloons tend to be made from latex, which is biodegradable. But if they end up in the sea, they can take more than a year to decompose and fish and marine animals can mistake them for food. Balloons block their digestive tract and they slowly starve to death.

The islands have 26 sites of special scientific interest. Nikki Banfield of the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust said the area has seen a significant rise in the number of balloons blown from the mainland since 2016.

‘During the first week of July we collected 20-30 in a week,’ she said. ‘Our seabird ecologist found one that was being played with by Atlantic Grey seals – a rare species. They could have got tangled up in its trailing string or even tried to eat it. We don’t want to say don’t use balloons, but people need to think about how they use them.’

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk