Study: Household Cleaners May Increase Risk of Childhood Obesity

Category: Health

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. infancy / ˈɪnfənsi / (n) – the earliest stage of childhood
    Example:

    I was often sick during infancy, so I was underweight as a baby.


  2. gut / gʌt / (n) – stomach or intestines
    Example:

    I felt pain in my gut after overeating.


  3. resistance / rɪˈzɪstəns / (n) – the state of being unaffected by something
    Example:

    Her immune system’s resistance to the new virus is failing.


  4. convert / kənˈvɚt / (v) – to transform or change into another form
    Example:

    Exercising converts fat into energy.


  5. hold water / hoʊld ˈwɑːtɚ / (idiom) – to appear to be reasonable or valid
    Example:

    The researchers feel that the study’s results did not hold water because of inconsistencies.


Article

Read the text below.

Using household cleaning products may increase the risk of obesity in children, a new study suggests.


University of Alberta researchers monitored 757 children from infancy to adolescence. The researchers looked into the subjects’ exposure to three types of household cleaners—disinfectants, detergents, and eco-cleaners. These household cleaners were examined to determine their possible effects on children’s guts, as well as their weights.


Findings showed that three- to four-month-old infants from families who used disinfectants at least once a week were two times as likely to have higher levels of Lachnospiraceae [LACH-noh-spahy-rey-see] or bacteria found in the gut. The bacteria are associated with greater body fat and resistance to insulin, a substance produced by the body to use and convert sugar into energy. Therefore, children with higher levels of Lachnospiraceae are more prone to obesity.


However, the researchers found no connection between obesity and detergents with no disinfecting ingredients like bleach and hydrogen peroxide. The study’s findings also suggest that infants living in homes where eco-cleaners were used were less likely to become obese. This is because children exposed to eco-cleaners had lower levels of the gut bacteria associated with obesity.


Despite the discrepancies in the findings, some experts believe that the results of the study still hold water. Noel Mueller and Moira Differding of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health explained that the types of bacteria that people are exposed to in the infancy stage affect the immune and metabolic systems.


The experts, therefore, recommend conducting further studies on the link between using disinfectants and obesity.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

• After reading the article, would you stop using household cleaners? Why or why not?
• In your opinion, should scientists also study the effects of disinfectants on adults? Explain.

Discussion B

• Aside from using cleaning products, how else can people protect themselves from bacteria and viruses? Discuss.
• What do you think are some practices or habits that expose people to bacteria and viruses? Discuss.