CBS NEWS
By Ryan Jaslow
New research links chemicals commonly found in our environments called phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA) to health problems in kids and adolescents.
Two studies, published Aug. 19 in Pediatrics, suggest the chemicals could be contributing to the childhood obesity epidemic.
One study, led by Dr. Leo Trasande, an associate professor of pediatrics and environmental medicine at the NYU School of Medicine, involved 766 adolescents aged 12 to 19 who were enrolled in a long-running study of their nutritional and dietary habits between 2003 to 2008.
The researchers were trying to see if chemicals used in manufacturing of plastics called phthalates were contributing to insulin resistance in the teens.