Might chemical additives increase obesity in children? Australia also facing increased obesity issues.

Chemical Structure of Bisphenol A (BPA)

Could chemical additives be a factor in children getting diabetes or becoming obese? Notice the following:

19 August 2013

Are chemicals in food packaging making children fat? Experts warn they expand waistlines and increase the risk of diabetes

Urine levels of one type of chemical, used to soften plastic, were tied to a higher risk of insulin resistance among teenagers

Another study group linked bisphenol A, or BPA – used to line aluminum cans – to obesity and larger waists in young people

Researchers advise not washing plastic in a dishwasher and throwing it away once its old or etched

‘Clearly unhealthy diet and lack of physical activity are the drivers of this epidemic … but increasingly environmental chemicals are being identified as possible contributors,’ Dr. Leonardo Trasande, a pediatrician from New York University, said.

He and his colleagues analysed data from a nationally-representative health and nutrition survey conducted in 2003 to 2008, which included urine and blood tests for 766 adolescents aged 12 to 19.

They found urinary levels of one particular type of phthalate, known as Di-2-ethylhexylphthalate (DEHP), were closely tied to a teenager’s chance of having insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2397059/Are-chemicals-food-packaging-making-children-fat-Experts-warn-expand-waistlines-increase-risk-diabetes.html#ixzz2cQQ8e3kn

I reported about this in late 2012 (see Alarming Obesity Rates Expected, But Might a Chemical Additive be Partially Responsible?).

But, of course, it is not just a few chemicals that contribute to obesity. Processed sugars and grains, the abundance of relatively inexpensive foods, the availability of so much food, are also factors.

August 19, 2013

One of the most comprehensive studies tracking the health of Australians has released findings that paint a disturbing picture of the nation’s battle with diabetes and obesity.

The AusDiab study was funded through a National Health and Medical Research Council grant and followed 11,000 Australians for 12 years.

Researchers found the incidence of diabetes remained very high, with almost 270 adult Australians diagnosed each day, and people aged 25-34 were gaining more weight than other age groups…In line with previous trends, obesity levels continued to rise.

The report found that the average gain in waist circumference over the 12 years of the study was 5.3 centimetres and it was greater in women than men. (Long-term study finds Australian adults increasingly at risk of diabetes and obesity. ABC. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-08-19/australian-adults-health-status/4894924)

The Bible warns about obesity, getting fat, and excessive eating.

Notice some of what Moses and Jeremiah wrote:

15 You grew fat, you grew thick,
You are obese!
Then he forsook God who made him,
And scornfully esteemed the Rock of his salvation.
16 They provoked Him to jealousy with foreign gods;
With abominations they provoked Him to anger. (Deuteronomy 32:15-16)

11 “Because you were glad, because you rejoiced,
You destroyers of My heritage,
Because you have grown fat like a heifer threshing grain,
And you bellow like bulls,
12 Your mother shall be deeply ashamed;
She who bore you shall be ashamed.
Behold, the least of the nations shall be a wilderness,
A dry land and a desert. (Jeremiah 50:11-12)

God inspired the prophet Isaiah to write:

2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good (Isaiah 55:2).

Many do not often eat what is good. Many eat too many chemically-laced highly processed foods. Many eat a lot of white bread, which is really not real bread as it has had the wheat germ and other natural components removed. This makes an inferior product which then is sprayed with synthetic B vitamins and other “nutrients” to “fortify” it. If you notice “B vitamins” added to “fortify” refined grain products or in so-called “natural” vitamin supplements (like thiamin mononitrate, thiamin HCL, folic acid, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine hydrochloride, cyanocobalamin), realize that these are basically petroleum derivatives and are not the same form of vitamins that are actually found in real, natural, food.

But most Westerners consume the synthetics, chemicals, and refined grains.

The other problem is that many eat too much. The Bible warns against this:

18 “If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and who, when they have chastened him, will not heed them, 19 then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city, to the gate of his city. 20 And they shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.’ 21 Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death with stones; so you shall put away the evil from among you, and all Israel shall hear and fear. (Deuteronomy 21:18-21)

20 Do not mix with winebibbers, Or with gluttonous eaters of meat; 21 For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty (Proverbs 23:20-21)

But notice that the Bible warns against eating bad foods and eating too much. And also notice that at least two curses are associated with this. Curses of destruction and poverty.

Poverty and destruction will come to the peoples of the United States and its British-descended allies. And, likely, famine as well (Matthew 24:7-8) before the start of the Great Tribulation.

Notice something else Isaiah and Jeremiah were inspired to write:

6 Therefore the Lord, the Lord of hosts,
Will send leanness among his fat ones;
And under his glory
He will kindle a burning
Like the burning of a fire. (Isaiah 10:16)

28 They have grown fat, they are sleek;
Yes, they surpass the deeds of the wicked;
They do not plead the cause,
The cause of the fatherless;
Yet they prosper,
And the right of the needy they do not defend.
29 Shall I not punish them for these things?’ says the Lord.
‘Shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?’ (Jeremiah 5:28-29)

And despite current abundance, famine and food shortages are coming (and may start in certain northern countries, though not necessarily the USA, see Zechariah 6:6, cf. Revelation 6:5-6).

The end of the USA and its Anglo-descended allies is coming. There is no prophecy in scripture that I believe even hints that a country like the current USA will exist after the King of the North succeeds (cf. Daniel 11:39, which seems to be the only reference to the USA in that chapter, and shows its conquering and division). National repentance, which does not seem likely at this stage, is the only hope. But individuals themselves can turn to God. And although obesity is a multi-factorial problem, all who are overweight, even the irreligious, can eat less, try to avoid chemical additives, and make better food choices.

Some prophetic articles of possibly related interest may include:

Obesity, processed foods, and the Bible Does the Bible warn about the consequences of being obese? Is overeating dangerous? What does science teach? Is gluttony condemned? This new article has that and much more.
GMOs and Bible Prophecy What are GMOs? Since they were not in the food supply until 1994, how could they possibly relate to Bible prophecy? Do GMOs put the USA and others at risk? Here is a related YouTube video GMO Risks and the Bible.
Just What Do You Mean — Repentance? Do you know what repentance is? Have you truly repented? Repented of what? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject.
Does God Heal Today? What does the Bible teach? Herbert Armstrong tries to explain this.
Ten Simple Rules that Lead to Health Herbert Armstrong gives his opinions on this.
Do Christians Sin? This is an article by Herbert W. Armstrong.
Overcoming Sin What is sin? How are Christians suppose to overcome it? Here is a link to a version in Mandarin Chinese: 克服是重要的. Here is also a link to a video in English titled How to Overcome Sin.
How to Prevent Sin This is an article by Herbert W. Armstrong. Here is a version in Mandarin: 如何不犯罪
 Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? A video of possible interest may be Will Will USA Spying Help the Beast Power?
Will the Anglo-Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Serán divididas las naciones anglosajonas?