Does Air Pollution Lead to Weight Gain?

We’re all well aware that air pollution is severely compromising the future of our planet. In December, leaders from every nation on the planet met in Paris at the COP21 talks to discuss how to reduce global warming below 2°C (and ideally below 1.5°C) in order to avoid catastrophic consequences for future generations.

However, poor air quality doesn’t just jeopardise tomorrow… it could cause serious complications today, as well. A recent study from Beijing found that laboratory rodents exposed to higher levels of pollution were prone to gaining substantial amounts of weight, as well as developing a number of other health concerns.

Like Mother Like Son

The study was a joint venture between the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Rutgers University, Duke University and Imperial College and was published in the Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.

In it, the team exposed pregnant rats to samples of polluted Beijing air, whilst simultaneously exposing a separate batch of pregnant rodents to filtered air. The results were conclusive: at the end of the eight week trial, those exposed to contaminated air supplies were significantly heavier than those which had breathed filtered air in every single case.

Furthermore, the offspring of the rats were found to be more prone to obesity if they had been subjected to air pollution whilst in their mother’s womb, suggesting that such glands can be altered by prolonged exposure to contaminants.

The study also found that rats exposed to polluted air were more likely to develop inflammation of the lungs, high cholesterol, tissue stress and elevated fat levels. Although humans are most certainly not rats, it is concerning to see a study prove such conclusive results.

A Mounting Body of Evidence

It’s already a well-established fact that air pollution can have a rapid and irreversible effect on our health. Just last year, a study conducted in Belgium found that even safe levels of pollution could cause heart attacks. Furthermore, such damage could be wrought in a single day if a person was exposed to high levels of contaminants and could be irreparable.

Meanwhile, a 2011 study from Columbia University found that New York children born to mothers who had been exposed to air pollution during their pregnancy were more likely to become obese by age five. Indeed, between 20% and 25% of all those tested whose mother had breathed in harmful polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) during the gestation period had elevated body mass indexes (BMIs).

Lastly, another study involving pregnant rodents found that exposure to tributyltin (TBT) led to a marked increase in both fat cell number and size. This contaminant, commonly found in plastics and in water piping, could easily be infiltrating our bodies without our knowledge.

Of course, in order to fully corroborate these findings, further studies will be required. However, it currently seems as though we should care just as much about cleaning up our planet for today’s generation as for those to come. That’s why it’s never been more important to ensure we improve air quality and reduce transport-related pollution, ensuring a safer world both ourselves and our children.