Air pollution may cause childhood obesity by disrupting impulse control, study finds

According to The Guardian, new peer-reviewed research points to a novel pathway linking air pollution and childhood obesity. Scientists at Mount Sinai found that babies exposed to higher levels of fine particulate matter, known as PM two point five, during their first year of life were more likely to struggle with impulse control later in childhood. That difficulty regulating impulses, the researchers suggest, may help explain how the pollutant, a known neurotoxin, contributes to obesity. The Guardian notes this is the first study to identify impulse control as a potential mechanism connecting the two.

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