ABSTRACT
Although the prevailing paradigm of obesity remains one of energy intake versus energy expenditure, the abrupt rise in global childhood obesity rates has led researchers to explore alternative contributors. While genetics undoubtedly bestow some obesity risk, the handful of genetic loci associated with obesity in human studies account for <2% of variance in body weight [1], as reviewed in Chapter 13. This observation is not surprising given the abrupt time line of the obesity epidemic. Beyond excess caloric intake and sedentarism, well-studied environmental risk factors for obesity include stress, smoking, sleep patterns, and the microbiome, as reviewed in other chapters in this book. In this chapter, we will discuss mounting evidence implicating developmental exposure to xenobiotic compounds as a hitherto underinvestigated contributor to the global obesity epidemic [2]. This chapter complements Chapter 19, with a focus on understanding the potential mechanisms that might link obesogens to obesity development.
