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. 2012 Feb;120(2):a62-8.
doi: 10.1289/ehp.120-a62.

Obesogens: an environmental link to obesity

Wendee Holtcamp

Obesogens: an environmental link to obesity

Wendee Holtcamp. Environ Health Perspect. 2012 Feb.
No abstract available

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Figures

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What Are Obesity and Overweight?
For adults obesity is defined as having a BMI of 30 or more, whereas overweight is defined as having a BMI of 25 or more. Defining obesity is a bit more complicated for children; it depends on the age and sex of the child. Children are considered obese if they are at or above the 95th percentile of the sex-specific growth charts, and overweight if they are between the 85th and 95th percentiles. BMI is defined as an individual’s body weight divided by the square of his or her height. Although it is not a measure of actual body fat, it can be calculated by using callipers to measure three skin folds, then plugging those measurements into sex-specific equations. BMI is widely accepted as an accurate proxy for body fat percentage in the general adult population, and it is the measurement of choice in the scientific literature on obesity. © Coneyl Jay/Photo Researchers, Inc.
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Transmission electron micrograph of human fat cells. Research to date suggests that different obesogens may have different mechanisms of action, affecting either the number or size of fat cells or the hormones that affect appetite, satiety, food preferences, and metabolism. © David M. Phillips/Photo Researchers, Inc.
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In one study by NIEHS biologist Suzanne Fenton, mice exposed prenatally to PFOA were more likely than controls to become obese when they reached adulthood. Christopher G. Reuther/EHP
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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