New research presented at the Endocrine Society’s 2025 annual meeting suggests that early exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals may affect how the brain forms food preferences, especially cravings for sugary and high-fat foods.
Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin studied 30 rats exposed to a mixture of these chemicals either during gestation or infancy. Male rats developed a temporary preference for sugar, while female rats consistently favored fatty foods and gained weight.
“Our research indicates that endocrine-disrupting chemicals can physically alter the brain’s pathways that control reward preference and eating behavior,” said Emily N. Hilz, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow at UT Austin. “These results may partially explain increasing rates of obesity around the world.”
The team sequenced brain regions involved in appetite and reward. They found widespread gene expression changes in males and more targeted changes in the reward regions of females, patterns that aligned with differences in eating behavior.
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals are found in many everyday products, including food packaging, personal care items and environmental sources. While this study was conducted on animals, Hilz said the results raise important questions about how early-life exposure may shape long-term health.
“It’s important that people understand that there are negative impacts associated with consuming or being near endocrine-disrupting chemicals early in life,” Hilz said. “With this knowledge in hand, consumers may want to consider reducing personal interaction with environments, food and other types of products containing these chemicals during pregnancy and early childhood to reduce the risk of developing obesity later in life.”
More research is needed in humans, but these early findings highlight the need for awareness around chemical exposures during critical developmental stages.
This research was supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, part of the National Institutes of Health.