Air Conditioning and Pollution Are Making Us Fat

Submitted by on April 12, 2012

In the battle over Americas expanding waistline, much of the emphasis is on diet and exercise. A study suggests other potential causes, including too much air conditioning, should be studied as well.

The report, published in the International Journal of Obesity, said researchers found no link between obesity and the proximity of children to fast food restaurants. On the other hand, researchers cite biology to link the growing problem of obesity and the prevalence of air conditioning over the last three decades.

Mammals, they say, use up more energy to maintain their bodies at an acceptable temperature.

The more time humans spend in a climate-controlled environment, the less their bodies have to work. They also suggest people tend to eat less when theyre hot.

As much as half of our home energy use comes from climate control. Heating and cooling uses more energy than any other single application of energy in America. The energy we use to heat and cool our homes is energy that we aren’t using to heat and cool our bodies, and it’s making us fatter.

That’s right, being hot or cool is somewhat uncomfortable and stressful for our bodies which, in turn, have to do things to increase or decrease body temperature. The extremes, of course, produce shivering and sweating, but milder energy use occurs as well as we move above or below 72 degrees. Studies have shown that women who live in 80 degree chambers burn almost 250 more calories per day at rest than women in 70 degree chambers. Heat further increases weight loss by suppressing appetites and by making you less guilty about all the energy you’re ‘waisting.’

Independent from the Climate Control’s effects on obesity, industrial chemicals such as pesticides, dyes, perfumes, flavorings and plastics have been shown to significantly increase the body mass of mice in extremely small quantities. Many of these industrial chemicals are endocrine blockers that confuse body chemistry and increase storage of fats.

I used to think that leading an environmentally sound lifestyle would only help me stay pretty if I was actually marching around in the forest doing jumping jacks and eating Balance bars. Apparently, clean air and energy efficiency keeps me lean just sitting here in front of the computer, and I’m lovin’ it.

 

Sources: http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/v36/n2/index.html

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