Relationship between Prenatal or Postnatal Exposure to Pesticides and Obesity: A Systematic Review

Helena Pinos, Beatriz Carrillo, Ana Merchán, Judit Biosca-Brull, Cristian Pérez-Fernández, María Teresa Colomina, Fernando Sánchez-Santed, Fernando Martín-Sánchez, Paloma Collado, Jorge L. Arias and Nélida M. Conejo
Additional contact information
Helena Pinos: Department of Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, National Distance Education University (UNED), 28040 Madrid, Spain
Beatriz Carrillo: Department of Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, National Distance Education University (UNED), 28040 Madrid, Spain
Ana Merchán: Department of Psychology and Health Research Center (CEINSA), Almeria University, 04120 Almeria, Spain
Judit Biosca-Brull: Research in Neurobehavior and Health (NEUROLAB), Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43007 Tarragona, Spain
Cristian Pérez-Fernández: Department of Psychology and Health Research Center (CEINSA), Almeria University, 04120 Almeria, Spain
María Teresa Colomina: Research in Neurobehavior and Health (NEUROLAB), Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43007 Tarragona, Spain
Fernando Sánchez-Santed: Department of Psychology and Health Research Center (CEINSA), Almeria University, 04120 Almeria, Spain
Fernando Martín-Sánchez: Joint Research Institute-UNED-Instituto de Salud Carlos III (IMIENS), 28029 Madrid, Spain
Paloma Collado: Department of Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, National Distance Education University (UNED), 28040 Madrid, Spain
Jorge L. Arias: Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Instituto de Neurociencias del Principado de Asturias (INEUROPA), University of Oviedo, 33003 Oviedo, Spain
Nélida M. Conejo: Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Instituto de Neurociencias del Principado de Asturias (INEUROPA), University of Oviedo, 33003 Oviedo, Spain

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 13, 1-24

Abstract: In recent years, the worldwide prevalence of overweight and obesity among adults and children has dramatically increased. The conventional model regarding the onset of obesity is based on an imbalance between energy intake and expenditure. However, other possible environmental factors involved, such as the exposure to chemicals like pesticides, cannot be discarded. These compounds could act as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDC) that may interfere with hormone activity related to several mechanisms involved in body weight control. The main objective of this study was to systematically review the data provided in the scientific literature for a possible association between prenatal and postnatal exposure to pesticides and obesity in offspring. A total of 25 human and 9 animal studies were analyzed. The prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal exposure to organophosphate, organochlorine, pyrethroid, neonicotinoid, and carbamate, as well as a combined pesticide exposure was reviewed. This systematic review reveals that the effects of pesticide exposure on body weight are mostly inconclusive, finding conflicting results in both humans and experimental animals. The outcomes reviewed are dependent on many factors, including dosage and route of administration, species, sex, and treatment duration. More research is needed to effectively evaluate the impact of the combined effects of different pesticides on human health.

Keywords: obesity; pesticides; organophosphate; organochlorine; chlorpyrifos; carbamates; pyrethroids; neonicotinoids (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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