Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity

Environmental Determinants of Obesity and Diabetes: Endocrine Disruptors, Pollutants, and Metabolic Risk

The global rise in obesity and diabetes has traditionally been attributed to lifestyle factors such as diet and physical inactivity; however, accumulating evidence highlights the critical contribution of environmental determinants to metabolic disease. Among these, endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and environmental pollutants have emerged as key drivers of metabolic dysregulation. Widely present in air, water, soil, and consumer products, these agents interfere with hormonal signaling pathways that regulate energy balance, adipogenesis, glucose homeostasis, and appetite. Early-life and chronic exposures—often occurring as complex chemical mixtures—have been shown to induce persistent alterations in metabolic programming. Mechanistic insights suggest that pollutants can act as “obesogens” and “diabetogens,” promoting adipocyte differentiation, insulin resistance, and systemic inflammation through pathways involving nuclear receptors, oxidative stress, and epigenetic modifications. This growing body of research supports the concept that environmental exposures are integral components of the metabolic disease continuum, extending beyond traditional behavioral risk factors.

Understanding the environmental determinants of obesity and diabetes is essential given the scale and accelerating burden of these conditions worldwide. Non-communicable diseases account for the majority of global morbidity and mortality, and environmental factors are estimated to contribute substantially to this burden. Urbanization and industrialization have increased human exposure to pollutants, including particulate matter, persistent organic pollutants, heavy metals, and endocrine disruptors, which collectively promote systemic inflammation, oxidative stress, and metabolic dysfunction. These exposures may act across the life course, beginning in utero and extending into adulthood, thereby amplifying disease susceptibility and contributing to intergenerational transmission of risk. Importantly, environmental influences may partially explain the discordance between genetic predisposition and the rapid rise in metabolic diseases observed over recent decades. Addressing these factors has profound implications for prevention strategies, public health policies, and clinical risk stratification, emphasizing the need to integrate environmental health into metabolic disease research and management frameworks.

This Article Collection aims to provide a comprehensive platform for advancing research on the environmental drivers of metabolic disease, with a focus on endocrine disruptors and pollution-related exposures. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the role of specific chemical classes such as bisphenols, phthalates, PFAS, pesticides, and heavy metals; the metabolic effects of air pollution and particulate matter; mechanisms involving adipogenesis, insulin resistance, mitochondrial dysfunction, and inflammation; and the contribution of epigenetic regulation, gut microbiota alterations, and transgenerational inheritance. Studies addressing the exposome concept, mixture effects, and vulnerability during critical developmental windows are particularly encouraged. The Collection welcomes a range of article types, including original research articles, systematic reviews, narrative reviews, and translational or clinical studies that bridge experimental findings with human health outcomes. Interdisciplinary approaches integrating endocrinology, metabolism, environmental science, and public health are especially valuable to deepen understanding and inform preventive and therapeutic strategies.

All manuscripts submitted to this Article Collection will undergo desk assessment and a full peer-review.

Please review the journal scope and author submission instructions  prior to submitting a manuscript as it will be rejected if it does not fall within the scope of the journal.

The deadline for submitting manuscripts is the 28th of February 2027

Please contact Menghan Li at [email protected] with any queries and discount codes regarding this Article Collection.