Study shows exposure to air pollution increases risk of obesity

Can breathing make you fat? According to research done at Duke University, if the air is dirty enough, the answer is yes.

In a study funded by several agencies of the Chinese government and published in the Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, increased tissue inflammation was observed in subjects exposed to polluted air.

“Since chronic inflammation is recognized as a factor contributing to obesity and since metabolic diseases such as diabetes and obesity are closely related, our findings provide clear evidence that chronic exposure to air pollution increases the risk for developing obesity,” said Junfeng Zhang, professor at Duke University and senior author of the paper.

After 19 days of exposure, laboratory rats who inhaled polluted air from Beijing, China gained weight and also experienced metabolic dysfunctions (in addition to somewhat expected cardio-respiratory problems). The rats also showed, among others, 97% higher total cholesterol and even exhibited high insulin resistance level. The latter is indicative of the onset of Type 2 diabetes.

The study notes that eight weeks of exposure gave more pronounced findings than at three weeks, suggesting that longer periods of exposure causes "continuous inflammatory and metabolic changes that ultimately increase body weight." — Aya Tantiangco/BM, GMA News