title: Associations between Obesity, Body Fat Distribution, Weight Loss and Weight Cycling on Serum Pesticide Concentrations.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Preliminary studies suggest pesticides may be linked to increased cancer risk. Since most pesticides are lipophilic and stored within adipose tissue, serum levels of organochlorines are affected not only by environmental exposures, but also by factors related to lipid turnover and storage. Our objective was to investigate whether serum organochlorines are influenced by weight loss, body fat distribution, and weight cycling.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten overweight women were recruited upon entry into a weight loss program and surveyed regarding weight history, childbearing/lactation, and exposure to environmental contaminants. Anthropometric measures and phlebotomy were conducted at baseline and at four weeks (mean weight loss=5.1 kg). Serum was analyzed for 19 common polychlorinated pesticides and metabolites and 10 PCB congeners.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Organochlorine levels were not significantly affected by weight loss nor associated with body mass index (BMI). Strong positive correlations were noted between levels of DDE/DDT and age (DDE β=0.6986/p=0.0246/DDT β=0.6536/p=0.0404) and between DDE/DDT and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) (DDE β=0.4356/p=0.0447/DDT β=0.8108/p=0.0044). Trends were noted for decreased levels of DDT in women who reported more episodes of weight cycling.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum organochlorine levels may be affected not only by age, but also factors related to lipid turnover (i.e., episodes of weight cycling and WHR), and warrants further study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1675 University Blvd., Birmingham, Alabama 35294, USA.
authors.forename: Andrew Dandridge
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Frugé
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Behavior, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1675 University Blvd., Birmingham, Alabama 35294, USA.
authors.forename: Mallory Gamel
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Cases
authors.affiliation: Program of Cancer Prevention, Detection and Control Research, Duke University Medical Center, Box 2715 Med Center, Durham, North Carolina 27705, USA.
authors.forename: Joellen Martha
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Schildkraut
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1675 University Blvd., Birmingham, Alabama 35294, USA.
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Demark-Wahnefried
keywords: Body fat; Obesity; Organochlorines; Waist hip ratio; Weight cycling; Weight loss