Most people know that eating out is not only expensive, but it can really pack the pounds on. That’s because restaurants often use a lot of sugar and fat– it makes the food taste good. Apparently, there’s something else showing up in the food, though– something really dangerous. It’s called “phthalates.”
If you’re anything like me, the name itself sounds problematic. And it turns out that phthalates are “potentially” harmful chemicals more usually found in products like hair sprays, shampoos, perfumes, and food packaging plastics– just to name a few.
As reported by KCTV5, a Kansas City “[c]onsumption of these chemicals has been linked to birth defects in young boys as well as behavioral problems and obesity in older children and adults. Exposure in utero can alter the development of the male reproductive tract, resulting in incomplete descent of one or both testicles.”
Ouch.
“Scientists also suspect that the chemicals can disrupt hormones and may cause fertility problems. They’ve connected them to childhood obesity, asthma, neurological problems, cardiovascular issues and even cancer,” KCTV5 reports.
But why are our favorite restaurants being called out in this study? Well, it seems the study also found that “the phthalate levels of participants who had eaten at restaurants, cafeterias and fast-food outlets in the previous day were 35% higher than those who reported eating food purchased at the grocery store.”
Got your attention now?
