Sicker, fatter, poorer The urgent threat of hormone-disrupting chemicals to our health and future ... and what we can do about it

Of the countless chemicals we're exposed to every day in ordinary life, thousands are damaging our health and endangering our environment. Pediatrician and environmental-medicine expert Trasande emphasizes the role of synthetic chemicals in upsetting many of the body's hormones. These endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) appear linked to a wide range of problems: infertility, low sperm counts, type 2 diabetes, obesity, autism, ADHD, endometriosis, and decreased IQ. In 2016, the recorded U.S. fertility rate was its lowest ever: 59.8 births per 1,000 women compared to 122.9 in 1957. EDCs find their way into our food supply, soil, cosmetics, and household furniture. A health official warned, "We are eating a half a milligram of plastic each day." One survey showed detectable amounts of BPA in 95 percent of adults. Evidence of adverse health effects is strongest for four chemical categories: pesticides, flame retardants, plasticizers, and bisphenols. The estimated economic burden of diseases attributable to EDCs in the U.S. and Europe is more than $400 billion annually. Trasande calls EDCs "the second greatest environmental challenge of our time," after climate change. Illuminating and alarming.--Tony Miksanek Copyright 2018 Booklist