A study published in early 2007 by researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia has linked chemicals found in many prepared foods and beauty care products to obesity.According to scientist Frederick vom Saal, the author of the paper, endocrine-disrupting chemicals found in plastics and pesticides can change the functioning of a fetus's genes, altering the metabolic system and predisposing him or her to weight gain later in life. Of the roughly 55,000 man-made chemicals in the world, about 1,000 may cause this type of endocrine disruption, he says.Obesity is on the rise worldwide. In the United States, more than two thirds of the population is overweight and one third is obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more while persons who are overweight have a BMI of 25 or higher. BMI is determined by dividing a person's body weight in kilograms by their height in meters squared or by using the conversion with pounds and inches squared.Excess weight is a serious health problem as it has been linked to a range of serious conditions including cardiovascular disease, hypertension, cancer, diabetes mellitus type 2, sleep apnea, and osteoarthritis.In the study, vom Saal linked the global explosion in obesity over the last three decades to consumers' massive exposure to chemicals in foods, cosmetics, skin care and hair care products and home cleaning products. Living a more natural lifestyle that incorporates organic products, he says, can minimize exposure to these chemicals and thereby reduce the risk of obesity.Organic products contain ingredients that have been produced without the aid of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides or plant growth regulators. To help inform the public about the true composition of beauty products, the Environmental Working Group has established the industry's first comprehensive online database of cosmetic ingredients. Called Skin Deep (www.cosmeticdatabase.com), it scores products based upon their potential health hazards and the degree to which those risks are unknown. Skin Deep includes details on almost one quarter of personal care products currently sold, including 22,722 products with 6,771 ingredients; since it was launched in 2004, consumers have used Skin Deep to perform more than 23 million product searches. Product categories covered include makeup (blushes, concealers, mascaras, bronzers, glitters, eye shadows, eyeliners, foundations, lipsticks, lip liners and powders); skin care products (cleansing products, deodorants, feminine care products, hair removal products, medicated products, lip balms, lotions, sunscreens and sun care products); hair care products (shampoos, conditioners, scalp treatments, hair sprays, hair colors, relaxers, styling lotions, hair loss products, styling mousses); eye care products; nail care products; baby care items and oral care products.