Seasonal foods and Obesogens

Eating locally produced food is not only better for the environment (as the food does not have to be shipped very far) but it is also better for human health. When fruits and veggies are grown locally, they are allowed to ripen on the plant longer therefore increasing the amount of nutrients in the produce. In addition to being healthier for the planet and ourselves, eating locally produced food supports smaller farms and helps sustain their agricultural business and best practices.  Health care providers and hospitals should encourage and provide healthier foods for their patients that include locally sourced food.
Local farms are currently producing (but are not limited to) figs, arugula, brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, kale, collards, swiss chard, pumpkins, rhubarb, lemons, blueberries, eggs, delicata squash, dumpling squash, herbs, cucumber, eggplant, carrots, celery, zucchini, parsnips, pears, cauliflower, and permissions. A local harvest calendar can be found at http://www.seasonalchef.com/cropchart3.htm

Obesogens
It has been suggested that the rise of obesity is a result of an environmental factor or exposure. One potential environmental cause for this increase could be from obesogen exposure especially during fetal and infant development. Obesogen is a term used to describe chemicals that have been shown to cause obesity in lab animal studies. This class of chemicals can act as endocrine distruptors, including atrazine, dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE),  bisphenol A (BPA), and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). As endocrine distruptors they been shown to increase the number of fat cells, increase the size of fat cells, suppress satiety, increase appetite, and decrease metabolism. Additionally, obesogenic effects can be passed on to the next generation through epigenetic effects.


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