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The Surprising Way Air Pollution Triggers Teen Weight Problems
Changes in Body Mass Index (BMI) during adolescence play an important role in the association between air pollution exposure and insulin resistance, according to a new study led by investigators from the Keck School of Medicine of USC.
The study, funded in part by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and published in JAMA Network Open, found that children who were exposed to higher levels of traffic-related air pollution-specifically nitrogen oxides-tended to have a higher BMI by age 13, and experienced rapid weight gain from adolescence to young adulthood. This, in turn, was linked to higher levels of insulin resistance in their mid-20s.
We estimated about 42% of the relationship between early pollution exposure and insulin resistance can be explained by accelerated BMI growth trajectories-which describes how an individual's BMI changes over time-and further contributes to insulin resistance, a key risk factor for type 2 diabetes."
Fangqi Guo, PhD, MPH, postdoctoral scholar research associate, Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, and lead author of the study
“These findings held, even after accounting for other factors such as smoking, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and parental history of diabetes,” says Guo. “Our discovery is especially important for families and children living in high-traffic urban areas who may already face other socioeconomic or health disparities,” says Guo.
The Metabolic Time Bomb
As diabetes rates surge among younger populations, this study exposes a previously hidden culprit behind the epidemic. The research team focused specifically on traffic-related air pollution (TRAP)—the toxic cocktail of gases released by cars, trucks, and buses that blankets urban areas.
While scientists have long suspected links between air pollution and diabetes, this study pinpointed the biological pathway: childhood exposure to vehicle emissions triggers excessive weight gain during the critical adolescent years, which then cascades into insulin problems by the mid-twenties.
The investigation analyzed data from 282 participants who were first enrolled as kindergarteners and first-graders in 2003 throughout Southern California. Researchers followed these children for over a decade, then reconnected with them as adults in 2023 to test their blood for metabolic health markers.
A Roadmap for Prevention
“Now that we understand weight gain during the teenage years serves as the bridge between pollution exposure and future diabetes risk, we can target our prevention efforts more effectively,” Guo notes. “This means focusing on both cleaner air policies and healthy weight programs for adolescents, especially in high-traffic communities.”
The findings suggest that public health strategies addressing environmental hazards and childhood obesity simultaneously could deliver powerful results in preventing chronic diseases.
Research Team and Funding
The study was led by an interdisciplinary team from USC’s Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, with additional expertise from Sonoma Technologies. Funding came from multiple National Institutes of Health programs, including the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes consortium and the Southern California Environmental Sciences Center.
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