Recent research suggests pathways to obesity that have less to do with current day food access or genetic inheritance than with epigenetic processes. One major source is a class of chemicals called endocrine disrupters. By definition, endocrine disrupters can alter genetic expression and, hence, phenotype... Another source of obesity is affective. Here I refer to the activation of cortisol, a key stress hormone. When people experience chronic stress, cortisol constantly circulates in their bodies. Excessive cortisol circulation is associated with the more dangerous abdominal fat (Bjorntorp, 2001). It appears to weaken immune responses, making people more vulnerable to diseases and toxins (Cooney, 2011). Studies have shown that the unhealthy assimilation effect, of which obesity is one signifier, observed among Mexican immigrants may owe a great deal to chronic stressors (Kaestner et al, 2009). - Julie Guthman onlinelibrary.wiley/doi/10.1111/j.1467-8330.2012.01017.x/full
Posted on: Wed, 12 Nov 2014 20:16:32 +0000
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