Take your shoes off at the front door to lose weight, say scientists
REMOVING shoes when entering the house and swapping carpet for wooden floors could help people stay slim by preventing chemicals accumulating in the home, scientists have claimed.
Portuguese researchers looked at where people were most likely to come into contact with “obesogens” – chemi- cals said to interfere with hormones and promote the build-up of fat – and found that diet, house dust, and everyday products such as cleaning chemicals, kitchenware or cosmetics were the biggest sources of contaminants.
They made seven recommendations to minimise the level of obesogens at home, including choosing fresh, organic and pesticide-free food instead of processed products, particularly those with long lists of ingredients.
The scientists advised removing shoes when entering the house to avoid bringing contaminants indoors, vacuuming often to stop chemicals building up in house dust, and replacing carpets at work and home with wooden floors. They also recommended switching from plastic containers to glass or aluminium, and avoiding synthetic cleaning products.
The team, from the universities of Aveiro and Beira Interior, presented their findings at the European Society of Endocrinology in Barcelona.
Lead author Dr Ana Catarina Sousa said: “These are baby steps to achieve an obesogen-free lifestyle but a really good start.
“Adults ingest about 50mg of dust every day, and children twice as much, so keeping the house clean is a very effective measure.”
Obesity rates in Britain have doubled over the past two decades and 63 per cent of adults are now considered overweight or obese, a figure expected to rise to two thirds by 2025.
Previous studies found obesogens in pesticides, plastics, flame retardants, repellent coatings on kitchen utensils and clothes, and artificial sweeteners.
However, British experts said more evidence was needed before lifestyle changes could be recommended.
Prof Russell Viner, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said that “only a balanced diet and regular exercise” could make people a healthy weight.
Six in 10 diners would be more likely to choose a restaurant that listed the calorie contents of its meals, according to a Comres survey of 2,000 adults for Diabetes UK.