Toxic environment and obesity pandemia: is there a relationship?

Obesity is a multi-factorial disease, resulting from genes, environment and behaviour interactions, representing the most common metabolic disorder in the Western Hemisphere. Its prevalence has dramatically risen during the last three decades, reaching worldwide epidemic proportions. Recent cumulating evidence suggests that obesity may represent an adverse health consequence of exposure during the main developmental stage to environmental chemicals disrupting endocrine function. Moreover these chemicals can be involved in the development of obesity-related metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. Further research is needed to elucidate the involved mechanisms, the relationship between this exposure and the obesity pandemia as well as hazard identification.