Taking your shoes off when you come home could help you
lose weight, according to a new study.
Nasty environmental chemicals carried into the house on your footwear make you fat by interfering with your hormones.
Researchers said removing your shoes and using wooden flooring rather than carpet can help prevent these chemicals from accumulating in your home.
Many everyday products are packed with chemicals known as 'obesogens' which meddle with your hormones, causing fat levels to build up in your tissues.
Researchers at the
Universities of Aveiro and Beira Interior in Portugal carried out a review of studies to find out where we come into contact with these chemicals most.
They found that the biggest sources of contaminants were house dust, diet and everyday products such as kitchenware, cosmetics or cleaning chemicals.
Scientists gave a number of recommendations to help people prevent the build-up of obesogens.
They recommend homeowners buy fresh, organic and pesticide-free food over processed products, and avoid synthetic cleaning products.
Removing shoes when entering the home can stop you from bringing obesogens indoors from outside sources.
Regularly vacuuming the home can stop the chemicals from accumulating in house dust, as can replacing carpets at work and home with wooden flooring.
Finally, they recommend reducing the use of plastic, especially when heating or storing food, and using glass or aluminium containers instead.
Lead author Dr Ana Catarina Sousa said: "These are baby steps to achieve an obesogen-free lifestyle but a really good start. Essentially, watch your diet and get rid of the dust at home."
"Adults ingest about 50mg of dust every day, and children twice as much, so keeping the house clean is a very effective measure.
"And use a humid cloth to dust your furniture, rather than a cleaning product that may contain more of these chemicals.'
Obesity rates in Britain have doubled in the past two decades, while in the United States this number has almost trebled since 1990.
Previous studies have shown that hormone-altering chemicals are present in
plastics, pesticides, repellent coatings on kitchen utensils and clothes, and artificial sweeteners.
But British experts warned that more research is needed before recommending lifestyle changes.
Professor Russell Viner, President of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said : "For some medical reasons such as protection against allergies, yes, it's advised to keep a dust free home and so too is removing shoes to avoid bringing in dirt from outside, but these things will not make you a healthy weight."
"Only a balanced diet and regular exercise will do that."