Lack of physical activity and poor diet alone cannot explain the dramatic rise in obesity and diabetes occurring in many countries, believe some researchers. It is time to face the possibility that hazardous chemicals may also share part of the blame.
The population of the Western world is increasingly falling prey to metabolic syndrome, which is the name for a group of risk factors -- such as overweight and insulin resistance -- that occur together and increase the risk for coronary artery disease, stroke, and type-2 diabetes.
What can explain this sharp upsurge in the incidence of metabolic syndrome? Both genetics and environmental factors such as diet and physical exercise play a part, but researchers are still missing some key pieces to the puzzle.
"Many studies now indicate that persistent organic pollutants play a major role," says Jerome Ruzzin, a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Bergen.
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