If You Eat Fast Food You’re Getting a Big Helping of Toxic Chemicals

"New study shows that consumption of fast food is linked to higher levels of phthalates, the chemicals used to produce many plastics."

"Most busy Americans have a powerful push-pull relationship with fast food. While they may know the facts—most fast food is high in fat, salt, and sugar and can lead to increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, and obesity—they still eat a lot of it. According to a 2013 Gallup poll, eight in 10 Americans report eating at fast food restaurants at least monthly, with almost half said they eat it at least weekly.

Now, a new study may add fuel to the anti-fast food fire. It suggests that people who eat fast food regularly are being exposed to significantly higher levels of hormone-disrupting chemicals called phthalates. These findings raise concerns because phthalates have been linked to a range of adverse effects including impacts on reproductive, behavioral, and respiratory health.

Published today in Environmental Health Perspectives, the study, conducted by researchers at George Washington University, looked at fast food consumption by nearly 9,000 people and found that those who reported eating more of it in the past day had urinary phthalate levels as much as 40 percent higher than those who had eaten no fast food in the 24 hours before testing."

Elizabeth Grossman reports for Civil Eats April 13, 2016.