Comments on: Phthalates in obesity and insulin resistance

By: Mark Schauss

Mark Schauss — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 19:53:32 +0000

Dr. Eades I’m so glad to see you posting about this issues with phthalates. I’ve been lecturing worldwide on the subject and imagine that many more problems will surface regarding this toxin. One area I think needs more research is the link between phthalates and autism, especially in males. It is something I have thought about and wonder what you think.

Hi Mark–

I haven’t read anything specifically linking pthalates to autism, but I’m not all that well read in that subject.� If you’ve got any specific papers, I would appreciate the references.

Cheers–

MRE�

By: Ryan

Ryan — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 17:53:52 +0000

This letter to the EHP suggests that phthalates aren’t used in plastic water/soda bottles or plastic wraps: http://www.ehponline.org/docs/2006/8804/letter.html

Hi Ryan–

Thanks for the article.� I hadn’t seen it yet.� I wonder about the plastic bottles I’m drinking from in Europe.

Cheers–

MRE�

By: gareth

gareth — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 16:47:46 +0000

Sweden banned pthalates in cosmetics due to the connection between high pthalates in pregnant women and problems of genital development in boys. interestingly( and unrelated), Sweden also banned iron fortification of foods in 1995 due to the well-established link between too-much iron and just about every serious degenerative disease. socialism may be the pits, but sometimes the Swedes get it right on the money! Hi gareth-- They are very right on these issues. Cheers-- MRE

By: Dan Harrington

Dan Harrington — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 14:55:42 +0000

I like your umbrella analogy, I think I�ll steal it and replace it with mine. The one I�ve been using goes like this. There are usually skid marks at the scene of an automobile accident. Where there are no skid marks there are no automobile accidents. Therefore skid marks cause automobile accidents. I try to avoid skid marks at all costs. However it�s difficult to find skid marks when it rains so it must be that most accidents are caused by umbrellas. The logic is undeniable. Great blog, Thanks Dan Hey Dan-- Here is a fun little video about a town called Allopath that cleverly uses the skid-marks-as-the-cause-of-automobile-accidents analogy. Enjoy. MRE�

By: fish

fish — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 22:26:12 +0000

If ketones are got rid of in the urine, and the brain runs better on ketones, should brain-intensive workers not drink so much water? Hi fish-- If one is following a ketogenic diet the liver makes plenty of ketones to replace those lost in the urine, so drinking water isn't really a problem. Cheers-- MRE�

By: Paul Theodorescu

Paul Theodorescu — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 16:31:31 +0000

Aren’t testosterone levels lower than the used to be 100 years ago? As well as average sperm count?

Paul

Yep.�

By: John

John — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 15:10:13 +0000

Are phthalates in the plastic bottles that soda and bottled water come in?

Yes, they are in soft plastic bottles.� Plastic is hard.� Phthalates make it soft, so if you’ve got soft plastic, odds are you’ve got phthalates.

Cheers–

MRE�

By: Max

Max — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 14:55:22 +0000

Few things:
1- Men’s Health had a question from a reader a month or two ago about plastic water bottle in the ice box and phthalates. Answer was: Freezing, fine. Heating, bad. Apparently, someone they get advice from thinks heating releases the phthalates.

2- Correlation is not causation. It is present in causal relationship, but just because you’re correlated doesn’t mean you have causation. Famous examples: the man in England who gets more pigeon poop on his window sill when the DJIA goes up and less when it goes down. This had, for a ten year run, a 78% correlation. I suppose we could come up with a causal story to explain it, but, no one’s buying that bridge to Brooklyn either. DJIA & hem lines too. I think that’s 85% correlated. Hrm, what else can we link here… all the correlations between heart health and fiber intake.

3- Was wondering about something off this topic. In both PP books, you advocate drinking “until you float”. I’ve read a lot recently about the 8 cups a day thing not having any base in anything, and no one is sure where it came from. Personally, I feel better when I’m “floating” (though makes me feel like I have a small bladder sometimes). So, do you have insight into where it came from? Or why do you and MD recommend it? Curious.

Hi Max–

The main reason we recommend a lot of water is that it makes a lot of urine.� A lot of urine gets rid of a lot of ketones.� Ketones contain calories, so it’s a free way to ditch calories.� And, we think, it probably reduces the amount of ketones released in the breath so people don’t go around with as much ketone-breath.

Aside from that reason, there isn’t a real reason to drink copious amounts of liquid.� I’m sure our Paleolithic ancestors drank when they were thirsty and when water was available.� One of the main components of meat, fruits, and vegetables is water, so even when you’re eating, you’re drinking.

Cheers–

MRE�

By: gallier2

gallier2 — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 14:10:02 +0000

Actually, the leaking of phtalates in microwave ovens is a relativly well known phenomenon in Germany. It’s been warned about in mainstream media for some years now.

By: Pam

Pam — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 11:20:40 +0000

The data you present makes it pretty clear that there is a strong correlation in males, but I did not see any indication that the same could be said for females; yet females are just as much at risk for obesity as males. Thanks for the article. Hi Pam-- Thanks for reminding me.� I intended to put that in the post, but slipped up.� The paper points out that the anti-testosterone effects would not apply to females. I'm not contending that this is the only cause of obesity, just that there is a correlation. Cheers-- MRE�