Developmental exposure to estrogenic compounds and obesity

Abstract

Obesity, defined as excessive body fat (25% for men; 30% for women), is a significant human health problem that has reached epidemic proportions in the United States over the last 2–3 decades (Oken and Gillman, 2003). Obesity and overweight are not confined to the United States. The World Health Organization has declared excessive weight as 1 of the top 10 health risks in the world, and 1 of the top 5 in developed nations. Obesity and overweight are associated with increased risk of a number of diseases and metabolic disorders including type 2 diabetes, hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance, coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, gout, liver disease, asthma and pulmonary problems, gall bladder disease, kidney disease, reproductive problems, psychological and social problems, osteoarthritis, and certain cancers. Obesity is a significant health risk for adults, but it is a far more serious problem for children because the incidence of type 2 diabetes, usually considered an adult-onset disease, is dramatically increasing in children and adolescents along with the rise in obesity. Further, because overweight children have a