Bad Plastic: It's Practically Everywhere

(AP) - Being fat could become the leading cause of cancer in women in Western countries in the coming years, say European researchers. Being overweight or obese accounts for up to 8% of cancers in Europe. That figure is poised to increase substantially as the obesity epidemic continues, and as major causes of cancer, such as smoking, drop. Colorectal cancer, breast cancer in menopausal women, and endometrial cancer accounted for 65% of all cancers linked to being fat. More»

Brain scans reveal that men may be better able to resist food

(NEWSER) - Women may be hard-wired to overeat, according to a new study of why men diet more successfully than women. A little-understood mechanism in the brain appears to give women less self control when it comes to dieting. Researchers speculate that women have evolved to crave food for pregnancy and lactation. Study volunteers first had to fast and then were shown a wide variety of tempting food. More»

Tough new regs shift burden to proving products are safe

(NEWSER) - The European Union has passed a series of tough new laws requiring companies to prove that the chemicals in their products are safe, the Washington Post reports. The rule is the exact opposite of US law—which requires proof that a chemical is dangerous before it can be regulated—and manufacturers say it will add billions to their costs. More»

Common ingredient linked to cancers, behavior issues

(NEWSER) - A federal health panel warned today a chemical used to make a slew of everyday plastic items—including baby bottles—could be linked to several types of cancer, early puberty for girls and even hyperactivity, the Washington Post reports. The report urges more study and marks a reversal for the government, which previously rejected health risks associated with bisphenol A (BPA). More»

Study finds plastic bottles leach chemical BPA in hot water

(NEWSER) - Hot liquid causes a potentially harmful chemical to leach out of certain plastics much faster than usual, researchers have found. The study, published in Toxicology Letters, discovered that bisphenol A, or BPA, was released from some common plastic bottles 55 times faster when they were placed in boiling water. Concerns about BPA, a hormone "disrupter," have been growing, particularly for containers used by babies and young children. More»