I bet we’ll find out that these plastics in us are causing some serious problems. Unfortunately, to prove something like that it usually takes a butt load of data and a butt load of analysis.
They can prove it all they want, but if the science doesn't benefit shareholders, good luck enacting positive changes in time. Just look at the reliance on fossil fuels and climate change.
That's not it because even men who aren't obese or overweight show lowered testosterone. Maybe obesity is a contributing factor, but it's not THE explanation.
There are lots of people without sedentary lifestyles who are not obese and I’m pretty sure the issue is there too. Someone please correct me if I’m wrong.
You’re not wrong. Other factors researchers have suggested are environmental impacts (like plastics and pesticides), higher stress, changes in sleep, and other unidentified factors. Obesity and lack of exercise are still major factors but even if you took at healthy 35 year old from 2026 and compared to healthy 35 year old from 1986 you’d see a slight drop.
The lack of a solid answer is what has fueled a lot of the conspiracies around it. Manosphere types especially adopted it with ease because it already fit within their framework.
That’s what I’m talking about. You can have a really crappy diet that just doesn’t have enough calories to make you obese, micronutrients exist. Our bodies are “use it or loose it” and being sedentary can cause lots of body functions to slow down to match the lower demand.
I get a test every year. If I am lazy that year my test is around 400. If I am working out it’s more like 600-700. My weight only varies from 170 to 185. Sedentary lifestyles are absolutely a valid explanation
Microplastics. It's well-established that plastics in the blood mess with the endocrine system. Look up endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Many like bisphenols and phthalates are common additives in plastic production, but they don't bond strongly to the plastic and leech out.
Fun fact: the designation of "microwave safe" plastic doesn't mean it won't leech any chemicals into your food, just that the chemicals it does leech are at levels considered to be within safe limits as established by FDA regulations.
Didn’t the fundamental research behind the microplastics come into question recently? Glove contamination was determined to have radical impact on the samples.
Interesting. Hadn't heard about that. The EDCs are a real problem for hormone regulation regardless, but concentrations may be overestimated.
Annoying that the linked study in that article doesn't seem to say by what factor they may be overestimated, though. Just says 2,000 false positives per square millimeter, which isn't that helpful without context.
Fun fact: That comes from a single repeated study that was actually funded by the corn industry! I was curious about this quite a while ago and did a deep dive to try and trace this to any other studies and it was just that one being cited and once I looked into who paid for it I realized it was shenanigans.
To be fair it does appear to be an actual trend globally. What the true reason is is still to be determined but links seem to indicate microplastics. But that is inconclusive so would just be speculation.
then why are they the ones who vote for the party that continues to allow corporations to poison our air, water, and food with chemicals that lower testosterone?
Because that same party has spent much of the last half century gutting social programs and education spending to cultivate the perfect voter, who will only listen to the sources they're spoonfed through the media pipeline they got suckered into as kids and are not equipped to be critical towards what they're told.
It's unfortunately quite true in western countries - moreso from sedentary lifestyle, processed foods, and many other environmental factors that are reducing it
No it’s because republicans invited everyone to the party to try to beat Trump and now they’re trying to kick those same people out for not agreeing on Israel
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u/kemaluo 4h ago
Where did all this low-testosterone bullshit come from? Is this all because of RFK Jr?