Exposure to outdoor and indoor air pollution and risk of overweight and obesity across different life periods: A review

Due to the highly evolved industrialization and modernization, air quality has deteriorated in most countries. As reported by the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution is now considered as one of the major threats to global health and a principal risk factor for noncommunicable diseases. Meanwhile, the increasing worldwide prevalence of overweight and obesity is attracting more public attentions. Recently, accumulating epidemio-logical studies have provided evidence that overweight and obesity may be partially attributable to environ-mental exposure to air pollution. This review summarizes the epidemiological evidence for the correlation between exposure to various outdoor and indoor air pollutants (mainly particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides (NOx), ozone (O3), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)) and overweight and obesity outcomes in recent years. Moreover, it discusses the multiple effects of air pollution during exposure periods throughout life and sex differences in populations. This review also describes the potential mechanism underlying the increased risk of obesity caused by air pollution, including inflammation, oxidative stress, metabolic imbalance, intestinal flora disorders and epigenetic modifications. Finally, this review proposes macro-and micro-measures to prevent the negative effects of air pollution exposure on the obesity prevalence.

Automated summary

Air pollution caused by industrialization and modernization is considered a major threat to global health and obesity. Epidemiological studies indicate a correlation between exposure to various air pollutants and overweight/obesity. Mechanisms such as inflammation, oxidative stress, metabolic imbalance, intestinal flora disorders, and epigenetic modifications may contribute to the increased risk of obesity caused by air pollution. Macro and micro-level measures should be taken to prevent the negative effects of air pollution on obesity prevalence.