LOS ANGELES — A large new study has linked high levels of childhood and adolescent exposure to the industrial chemical bisphenol A or BPA to higher rates of obesity — in white children only.
The latest research, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, measured BPA levels in the urine of a diverse group of 2,838 Americans ages 6 to 19. Researchers from New York University also reviewed data on the participants’ weight, dietary intake, physical activity and socioeconomic backgrounds.
The researchers found that for blacks and Latinos, the link was so small it could have been a statistical fluke. But compared with white children with the least BPA in their urine, those with the most were six times more likely to be obese. BPA is a chemical agent widely used to protect aluminum food cans from corrosion and to strengthen plastic bottles, toys and containers.
