Any doctor or dietician will agree that the solution to the obesity crisis is a healthy diet and regular exercise. But new research indicates that they are not the only factors at play.

A recent study has suggested that chemicals used in many common beauty products could be quietly contributing to weight gain.

Doctors at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York say that phthalates, which appear on ingredients lists of around 70 per cent of shampoos, cosmetics and soaps, could be “endocrine disruptors”, and should be avoided where possible.

They found that endocrine disruptors can mimic the effects of hormones and affect the performance of the glands.

To avoid phthalates, Pediatrician Maida Galvez, advised consumers to choose fragrance-free products and organic ranges.

據英國《每日郵報》30日報道：在處理肥胖問題上，任何一位醫生或者營養師都贊成采用健康飲食和規律運動的方法。但是一項新的研究表明並非隻有這兩種因素在影響肥胖問題上發揮著作用。近期研究提示說，常見的美容產品裡使用的化學物質可能會不知不覺地讓我們變胖。

紐約西奈山醫療中心的醫生們說，在百分之七十的洗發水、化妝品和肥皂中都含有磷苯二甲酸鹽，這種物質有可能就是所謂的“內分泌幹擾物”，應盡量避免使用。他們發現“內分泌幹擾物”可以模擬荷爾蒙的作用，並對腺體的性能產生影響。為瞭有效避免磷苯二甲酸鹽，兒科醫生麥達•賈爾維茲建議消費者選擇使用不含香料的有機產品。