Chunky monkeys of the world beware. Dropping those excess pounds and keeping them off has long been considered the thing to do, but it could expose you to something stored in all that fat. Dieting could release into the your blood stream industrial pollutants that your body captured in the fat and that have been linked to illnesses like diabetes, hypertension and rheumatoid arthritis could be released when diet and exercise break down that fatty tissue.
The warning comes from researchers at the Kyungpook National University in South Korea. Lead researcher Duk-Hee Lee and an international team of colleagues studied 1,099 participants in the United States and concentrations of seven such compounds in their blood.
“Once released into the bloodstream, these pollutants are able to reach vital organs,” the researchers said in a statement.
Those who lost most weight over 10 years had the highest concentrations of the compounds, called persistent organic pollutants (POPs), compared to those who gained or maintained a steady weight.
“There is emerging evidence that POPs … are not safe. POPs (are) linked to type 2 diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, periodontal disease,” Lee said.
The researchers factored in age, gender and race to explain the differences in concentrations of these pollutants but weight history remained a statistically significant factor.
More studies were needed to establish if such harm outweighed the benefits to be gained from weight loss, Lee said