Abstract
SummaryFollowing a 2019 workshop led by the Center for Global Health Studies at the Fogarty International Center on the topic of childhood obesity prevention and research synergies transpiring from cross‐border collaborations, we convened a group of experts in the United States and Latin America to conduct a narrative review of the epidemiological literature on the role of obesogenic endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in the etiology of childhood obesity among Latino youth in the United States and Latin America. In addition to summarizing and synthesizing results from research on this topic published within the last decade, we place the findings within a lifecourse biobehavioral framework to aid in identification of unique exposure‐outcome relationships driven by both biological and behavioral research, identify inconsistencies and deficiencies in current literature, and discuss the role of policy regulations, all with the goal of identifying viable avenues for prevention of early life obesity in Latino/Hispanic populations.
Highlights
The World Health Organization estimates that obesity worldwide has tripled since the 1970s,1 with 62% of adults categorized as overweight or obese in the Americas
After compiling results of the search, we removed duplicates, followed by studies where outcomes were assessed in persons >18 years of age, those that focused on metals as the endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) of interest given that metals operate through distinct mechanisms from those summarized above,[31] those that did not take place in the United States or Latin America, those where the outcomes were not obesity-related, and those where Latino or Hispanic participants comprised
After removal of studies conducted in persons >18 years of age, where the EDCs of interest were metals, where the setting was not in the United States or Latin America, and where the outcomes were not obesity-related, we considered 57 studies
Summary
The World Health Organization estimates that obesity worldwide has tripled since the 1970s,1 with 62% of adults categorized as overweight or obese in the Americas. In the United States, children and adolescents of Latino/Hispanic descent have approximately twofold higher prevalence of obesity than their White counterparts.[7] While the root causes of this discrepancy are multifaceted, socioeconomic and ethnic inequities are key drivers. In Latin America, many countries are undergoing the epidemiological transition, related to a process of modernization and urbanization that coincides with increased life expectancy.[8] The industrial advancements occur in concomitance with reduced physical activity and higher intake of processed foods, foods high in calories, unhealthy fats and refined carbohydrates, and exposure to harmful chemicals used in food processing and wrapping9—a parallel process known as the nutrition transition.[10] Together, these shifting patterns result in rising rates of obesity and obesity-related chronic disease.[11] Beyond diet and other lifestyle factors, Latino/Hispanic populations have higher prevalence of some genetic polymorphisms that place them at greater risk of obesity-related disease—a topic reviewed in detail elsewhere.[12] in all populations but especially those in Latin America, it is important to identify risk factors and preventive strategies as early as possible.[13]
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