TOWIE girls watch out! Women who use nail varnish and hairspray 'may have higher risk of diabetes' 
 
 
 
 Personal care products often contain phthalates, which can mimic human hormones 
 
 Towie star Sam Faiers: Fake tan, hairspray and perfume all contain phthalates 
 
 High-maintenance women who cover themselves in self-tan and hair spray may be at higher risk of developing diabetes, researchers say. 
 
 A team f rom Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston said they had found a link between phthalates - a class of chemicals found in these products - and the metabolic disease. 
 
 They found that women who had the highest concentrations of the chemicals in their bodies had up to double the risk of developing diabetes compared to those with the lowest concentrations. 
 
 They also found a link between high concentrations of phthalates and insulin resistance among women - which is often a precursor to Type 2 diabetes. 
 
 
 
 Phthalates are a group of man-made chemicals found in a range of personal care products, including nail varnish, shampoos and soaps. They are also found in plastics and packaging. They can mimic the body's natural hormones. 
 
 The researchers analysed information from of 2,350 American women aged 20 to 80 who took part in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, between 2001 and 2008. 
 
 
 
 As part of the survey, participants underwent physical exams and provided urine samples and 217 reported having diabetes. 
 
 Women who had the highest levels of two chemicals - mono-benzyl phthalate and mono-isobutyl phthalate - in their urine samples were nearly twice as likely to have diabetes as women with the lowest levels of those chemicals, the study found. 
 
 People with diabetes must check their blood glucose levels regularly 
 
 Women with moderately high levels of the chemicals mono-n-butyl phthalate and di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate had approximately a 70 per cent increased risk of diabetes. These findings held even when other risk-factors were taken into account, such as how many calories the women consumed. 
 
 However, the researchers said that their results were preliminary and other sources of phthalates exist outside of cosmetics. 
 
 What is more the study surveyed participants at only one point in time and so further research is required. 
 
 Writing in Environmental Health Perspectives, t he researchers said it was possible that the chemicals increased the risk of diabetes indirectly by interfering with the metabolism of fat tissue, as this can lead to insulin resistance. 
 
 The latest study joins a growing body of research highlighting health concerns about phthalates. 
 
 Nail varnish: Dibutyl phthalate was banned from European cosmetics in 2003 but not in the U.S ||||| Canned foods may contain BPA because the chemical leaches from the liner into the food. 
 
 Credit: Canned food photo via Shutterstock View full size image 
 
 The chemicals bisphenol A and phthalates are linked to obesity and insulin resistance in adolescents in two new studies, but the findings cannot yet answer whether the hotly debated hormone-like compounds are causing the negative health effects they are linked with, experts say. 
 
 In one study, the researchers measured the levels of DEHP, a phthalate found in processed foods, in the urine of 766 adolescents ages 12 to 19. They found that teens with higher amounts of DEHP in their urine had increased rates of insulin resistance, a condition that can lead to Type 2 diabetes. 
 
 The results held when the researchers controlled for some other risk factors for insulin resistance, such as the teens' calorie intake and weight. The researchers didn't find an association between insulin resistance and other kinds of phthalates that are found in cosmetics and personal care products such as shampoos. 
 
 "In laboratory studies, phthalates influence the expression of genes related to how we respond to sugar ingestion with insulin secretion," said study researcher Dr. Leonardo Trasande, professor of environmental medicine and pediatrics at New York University. 
 
 
 
 "A previous study has identified an association between phthalates and insulin resistance in adult males," so in the new study the researchers examined this relationship in adolescents, Trasande said. [9 Weird Ways Kids Can Get Hurt] 
 
 However, the study does not prove a cause-and-effect relationship. It is possible that insulin-resistant teens tended to eat food with higher phthalates content, or that they excreted more DEHP in their urine compared to healthy children, the researchers said in their study, which was published today (Aug. 19) in the journal Pediatrics. 
 
 Evidence for BPA and obesity link 
 
 Another study published in the same journal examined the relationship between bisphenol A (BPA) and obesity in more than 10,000 children ages 6 to18. Children with the highest amounts of BPA in their urine had double the risk of being obese, compared with children with the lowest urinary BPA levels. 
 
 In this study too, the researchers recommended cautious interpretation of the results. BPA is found in higher concentrations in fat tissue compared to other body tissues, so it is possible that people with more body fat store more BPA from food, and excrete more in urine, said study researcher Dr. Joyce Lee, professor of pediatrics and endocrinology at University of Michigan. 
 
 Another possibility is that people who are obese are merely eating more BPA-containing food, Lee said. [5 Ways to Limit BPA in Your Life] 
 
 Still far from a consensus 
 
 
 
 Both BPA and phthalates have been the focus of intense research in recent years because of concerns raised over their potential to act like hormones in people who are expose to them through food packaging, but studies have been inconclusive and scientists have not reached a consensus. 
 
 In a commentary published along with the new studies, Dr. Robert Brent, professor of pediatrics at Thomas Jefferson University and an expert on environmental toxicology, questioned the methods commonly used in studying exposure to such chemicals, particularly BPA. He said that chemical content of the urine may not be a good measure of a person's actual exposure to the chemical. 
 
 Humans metabolize BPA rapidly and eliminate it via the urine, keeping only low amounts of the chemical in the blood, which is where it can have biological effects, Brent said. 
 
 Previous studies have tested people who ate foods with high BPA content, and saw that even though they excreted higher amounts of BPA through their urine, their blood levels of BPA were still at the lowest detectable amounts, Brent wrote in the commentary. 
 
 Moreover, research has suggested that metabolism destroys the ability of BPA to disrupt the endocrine (hormone) system. "After it gets into the blood, it doesn't even have the ability to attach to an endocrine receptor," Brent told LiveScience. "Yet, it's shown to be linked with a whole host of diseases. Autism, diabetes, genital malformation, cancer, you name it." 
 
 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has maintained that toxicity tests show current levels of adults' exposure to BPA is low and safe. However, in July 2012, the agency announced a ban on using BPA in baby bottles and cups after the chemical industry requested the ban, and as the industry was phasing out BPA use. BPA is more highly regulated in several countries, including Canada, as precautionary measures, but officials also generally acknowledge the lack of evidence about BPA's effects. 
 
 Email Bahar Gholipour or follow her @alterwired. Follow LiveScience @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on LiveScience. ||||| There are many reasons why the world is ensnared in an obesity epidemic, and they don't only involve the quantity of food people are eating (though that's a big part of it). In some cases, toxic substances found in products we encounter everyday are contributing to the problem--along with genetically modified food, forks, and countless other factors. Today's obesity epidemic has also led to a diabetes epidemic--today, 25.8 million people in the U.S. (that's more than 8% of the population) have diabetes. 
 
 In a study published recently in the journal Pediatrics, researchers from New York University School of Medicine found a strong link between insulin resistance in U.S. teens and their urinary concentration of DEHP, a chemical (specifically a type of phthalate) used in medical equipment and packaged food. Researchers have previously seen links between insulin resistance--a precursor to diabetes that can trigger weight gain--and DEHP levels in both adults and animals. 
 
 When the body becomes insulin resistant, it's akin to having rusty keys that won't turn. 
 
 Using a national survey, the researchers collected data from a sample of teenagers related to glucose levels, fasting insulin, height, weight, poverty, ethnicity, and other factors. Phthalate levels were measured using a urine sample. 
 
 Their results: Higher phthalate levels were linked to insulin resistance. The researchers write that more studies are needed: 
 
 While dietary sources are likely to be the chief source of exposure, given the uses of DEHP in other products, we cannot rule out nondietary sources as contributors to the associations identified here...Knowledge gaps also persist in understanding food contamination with DEHP. A comprehensive review suggests that most studies are dated and may not represent current exposures. 
 
 Insulin resistance is, according to diabetes educator Gary Scheiner, "the root cause of almost all cases of Type 2 diabetes." Insulin (a hormone generated in the pancreas) regulates the amount of sugar in the bloodstream by directing glucose into fat, muscle, and liver cells. It's like a key that unlocks access to these cells, Scheiner explained to the Chicago Tribune. When the body becomes insulin resistant, it's akin to having rusty keys that won't turn--glucose can't get into cells, and the body panics at the rise of blood sugar in the pancreas, producing even more insulin. Blood sugar eventually rises to untenable levels, and diabetes occurs. 
 
 In a study earlier this year, Dr. Leonardo Trasande--the lead author on the DEHP paper--also found that low-molecular weight phthalates, often found in cosmetics, lotion, and creams, are linked to increased body mass among African American children. Phthalate exposure, the report explained, could be responsible for a 1.7 pound increase in body weight in children. 
 
 There are ways to avoid phthalate exposure in daily life. Don't use unnecessary personal care products, for starters. And the researchers suggest that it's possible to avoid some DEHP exposure by opting for fresh foods instead of foods that are canned or wrapped in plastic--a move that can reduce DEHP metabolites up to 56%. Certain kinds of packaging, like wax paper and aluminum wrap, don't contain DEHP at all.
– Bad news for the well manicured: If the cosmetics you slather yourself with contain phthalates, you may be more likely to get type 2 diabetes. A new study finds a link between the man-made chemicals—which can mimic human hormones and are found in everything from nail polish to shampoo to hairspray—and the disease. Women ages 20 to 80 were studied, and those whose urine contained the highest concentration of the chemicals were almost twice as likely to have diabetes as those with the lowest concentrations. Even those with moderately high levels had an increased risk of about 70%, the Daily Mail reports. Researchers hypothesize that phthalates might mess with the metabolism of fat tissue, thus leading to insulin resistance, often a precursor to diabetes. But your self-tanner and moisturizer may not be doing all the damage: The researchers did note that phthalates aren't exclusively used in cosmetics; you'll find them in everything from vinyl flooring to food packaging to toys. You can tell if your favorite soap contains phthalates by reading the label's ingredients list.