Obesogens: What They Are, Where They Hide & How To Beat 'Em

If you're like me, you could follow your weight-loss plan to the letter and still struggle to lose weight. My thousands of hours of research and conversations with dietary experts have shown me the one-size-fits-all diet is a total myth. There's just too much variability in our hormones, genetics, and age to assume that one strategy will work for everyone.

Obesogens1 are chemicals in our environment that slow our metabolism and wreak havoc on our bodies. And in my experience, xenoestrogens2 (which mimic the effects of estrogen and can be found in plants, plastics, and preservatives) are the most noteworthy obesogens. Ingesting a large amount of xenoestrogens orally has a similar effect3 to taking birth-control pills: It causes an increase in sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG). This binding hormone not only absorbs the xenoestrogens but potentially also the body's own testosterone, which is a problem because testosterone is a terrific fat burner, and if we have lower testosterone levels, we are prone to gain weight.

Jerry couldn't figure out what was happening until he met with Dr. Karron Power. Dr. Power has seen a number of "unexplained" weight-gain cases. She assessed Jerry and after eliminating other possibilities, she zeroed in on xenoestrogens. When the tests came back positive, the story behind Jerry's weight gain came to light.

Jerry had recently gotten married, and his new wife was cooking dinner every night. When she finished she would put the food into a plastic container while it was still hot and then put it in the fridge to cool overnight. Jerry would take the container to work the next day and heat it in the microwave. Unfortunately for Jerry, heat releases xenoestrogens (like BPA and phthalate) from plastic and transfers it to our food. These xenoestrogens being absorbed by Jerry's food were reducing his available testosterone and causing his lack of energy and weight gain.

While soy and flax get kudos from many health experts, they do pose a concern. Soy and flax have high levels of natural plant estrogens, which operate much the same as the estrogens in our bodies and can cause us to hold on to fat. If you've been struggling with weight gain, eliminate these foods from your diet.