I’ve made some interesting observations with regard to why Americans are overweight. In Northern Virginia where I practice, I have a melting pot of patients from all over the world. Upon surveying people from other countries, I have almost always found that they started becoming overweight when they moved to America. Some have told me that they lost weight when they went back home despite calorie intake or fat in their diets. This led me to evaluate the differences and similarities between America and other countries. Yes, people in other countries consume fewer fast foods and eat more fresh and natural foods, but they don’t seem to be eating fewer fatty foods or lower-calorie foods. They might also be getting more exercise; but then again, despite getting plenty of exercise, many Americans are not able to lose weight. So we can’t just blame it all on “You’re eating too much,” or “You’re not exercising,” or “You’re getting old.”
What is the big difference or the real common denominator? There is one significant factor I’d like to discuss. In America we fatten cattle, chickens and other animals via hormones. We give them estrogen and growth hormone to make them fatter. Even farm-raised fish are fed hormones. Well, if you consume turkey meat from turkeys that have been given hormones from birth, is it possible that some of the residue from the hormones could leach out in your body? If hormones can cause turkeys to look butterball size, is it possible that your body could also become butterball size? Due to the presence of hormones in our food supply, we are seeing girls develop larger breasts and start their menstrual cycles at an increasingly younger age.
Young boys are even developing extra breast tissue. This alone tells us that estrogen levels must be higher. Young girls with excessive sex drives may also have been exposed to estrogens in their diets. 1 Growth hormone, used in animal foods such as commercial milk, seems to be having an effect on our children as well—bigger feet especially. And I have observed women gaining weight when they go on the birth-control pill or on hormone replacement therapy—again more estrogen
Estrogen makes the fat layer around a female body. Fat cells also produce estrogen. Estrogen can inhibit thyroid and liver function. Don’t worry—it gets worse! The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is doing major research on the effects of toxins called endocrine disruptors in both humans and wildlife. 2 An endocrine disruptor is an environmental poison that mimics, blocks or otherwise disrupts the normal function of hormones.
Another point regarding endocrine disruptors is that even tiny amounts can create hormone damage. It doesn’t take much. Schools, restaurants, golf courses, yards, foods, etc., are sprayed with chemicals that mimic estrogen. These toxins usually accumulate in only one or two organs.
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