Could the Living Room Carpet Be Making Us Gain Weight?

We all know that unlimited sugars or unhealthy fats will quickly show up around our waistline. But who would have thought that chemicals found in a multitude of products, from breakfast cereals to carpets, could be responsible for part of the global obesity epidemic?

A new study from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center examined three common chemicals in our environment: BHT, an antioxidant often added to breakfast cereals and other products to prevent their fats from spoiling, PFOA, a polymer found in many kitchenware and carpets, and TBT, compounds found in paints that can leach into water and be absorbed by fish and seafood.

The researchers used hormone-producing human tissues grown from human stem cells to demonstrate how chronic exposure to these chemicals could interfere with the signaling from the digestive system to the brain – signals intended to inform the brain that the stomach is already full and there's no need to eat more. When this signaling system fails, people continue to eat beyond their point of satiety and suffer from overweight.

The experiment was conducted as follows: From some of the collected human stem cells, the researchers grew intestinal wall tissues. From others, they grew hypothalamus tissues, the part of the brain responsible for regulating hunger and fullness. Next, the researchers examined what happens to these cells when exposed to each of the chemicals – or all three together. The results showed that exposure disrupts the activity of networks that produce hormones sending hunger and fullness signals.

The researchers hope to conduct further studies on many other chemicals present in the environment, aiming to determine which are safe to use – and which should be avoided.