In the New York Times Tuesday, September 25th, 2012 edition of the Science section was an article written by Nicholas Bakalar entitled “BPA Levels Tied to Obesity in Youth” (find it here). The article speak to the chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) which has already been highly publicized as a cautionary warning to consumers when purchasing food packaged in metal or plastic containers.
What we know is that most of us have some trace of BPA in our system already, which can be found by taking a simple urine test. What is now being discussed is how these detections of BPA in our urine can be linked to children and their risk for obesity.
In the study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the evidence demonstrated that the rate of obesity in children ages 6 to 19 who tested for the highest level of BPA concentration in their urine was significantly higher than the other children with lower BPA readings.
This study controlled for such variables as age, income and diet. However when children of black or Hispanic backgrounds were tested separately the findings were not as evident. The reasons are unknown.
When I considered this data I thought about how the leading epidemic amongst Americans who die prematurely is obesity. Our children are amongst the most over weight in the world. My hope is that with evidence such as this we may look to address obesity from a broader perspective.
Could banning BPA in food packaging be an easy step towards addressing obesity? Perhaps and what would be the cost to us when we have a nation that funds health care to provide lap band for addressing weight control but not to visit a registered dietitian.
We need to consider the epidemic of obesity from a broader perspective and see in what ways we can take responsibility for our nations children and their health. This article points to this and asks us to consider obesity from the perspective of what and how we consume foods. Beyond governmental control, we as parents and members of a community can take our own steps towards ensuring we support our family’s health with good choices made at the grocery store.
When considering buying a packaged item, take time to read the labels for what is on the inside and outside of the containers. Ask yourself questions about what you are buying. Are there other affordable options from which you can outsource your food? Is there perhaps a bulk section to your food store? Are there frozen options?
If BPA is a factor you would like to consider when making food choices there are plenty of options. One company that I have found has gone above and beyond to make it clear to consumers their packaging does not contain BPA is Eden Foods (see here). They have been BPA free since 1999. Another consideration is that you can take what you buy and transfer it to BPA free containers. Many plastic tupperware now sold have printed “BPA free” and of course there is always glass which is wonderful way to store foods in the fridge and freezer.
Considering obesity with such considerations as BPA is a good step towards furthering the discussion of how to help create a healthy community. As you do your research and seek out other media related to this topic, due share your thoughts on what you find with us.
