Mt Sinai Study Links PM2.5 in First Year to Higher BMI at Ages 4-8
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 6
Mt Sinai Study Links PM2.5 in First Year to Higher BMI at Ages 4-8
1 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 6
Summary
434 Mexico City children tracked in a longitudinal study showed that higher PM2.5 exposure during the first year of life was tied to greater impulsivity and higher body fat and BMI at ages four to eight.
Mt Sinai researchers said the findings identify impaired inhibitory control as a likely pathway: the neurotoxic pollutant appears to disrupt self-regulation during a sensitive window for brain development, potentially altering eating behavior and driving weight gain.
PM2.5—produced by traffic, fossil-fuel burning and wildfire smoke—has already been linked to metabolic disruption, but the authors said this is the first peer-reviewed study to connect obesity risk to impulse-control changes.
The study cited limits including its relatively small sample and limited covariates, yet an outside scientist said the results support stronger policies to cut exposure; researchers also pointed to HEPA filters, MERV-13 furnace filters and avoiding heavy smoke or congestion.