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Energy imbalances, some genetic or endocrine medical conditions, and medicines are known to cause overweight or obesity.

Autoimmune diseases result from a dysfunction of the immune system.

NIEHS funds a substantial portfolio of research in the field of environmental health sciences conducted by investigators in many disciplines from various organizations. These research activities span the range from basic mechanistic research to clinical and epidemiologic studies using human subjects. NIEHS-supported investigators are currently determining how environmental agents cause or exacerbate a variety of human diseases. NIEHS is also committed to developing the next generation of environmental health scientists by supporting a variety of interdisciplinary training programs.

Aloe is a succulent plant widely used in alternative medicine.

Approximately 246,000 women in the United States, or 1 in 8, are diagnosed with breast cancer each year.

Acrylamide is a chemical widely used during the manufacturing of paper, dye, and other industrial products. It can also be formed when certain foods are cooked at high temperatures. Frying, baking, or roasting certain foods, such as potatoes or grains, can create acrylamide. French fries and potato chips, for example, may have measurable acrylamide levels. Acrylamide is also found in cigarette smoke.

Flame retardants are chemicals that are added or applied to materials in order to slow or prevent the start/growth of fire. They have been used in many consumer and industrial products since the 1970s, to decrease the ability of materials to ignite.

Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that may interfere with the body’s endocrine system and produce adverse developmental, reproductive, neurological, and immune effects in both humans and wildlife.

Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a method used to extract natural gas and oil from deep rock formations known as shale. Using this method, drilling operators force water, sand, and a mix of chemicals into horizontally drilled wells, causing the shale to crack and release natural gas or oil.

Hexavalent chromium is a form of the metallic element chromium. Chromium is a naturally occurring element found in rocks, animals, plants, soil, and volcanic dust and gases.