People Who Eat Fast Food Have More Harmful Chemicals In Their Bodies, Study Says

If fast food fries are your guilty pleasure, you may want to listen up: As it turns out, fast food isn't just bad for your physique — a regular McHabit will seriously change the chemical balance in your body.

The CDC has released data proving that fast food consumers actually have higher levels of harmful chemicals in their bodies like phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA), which are both linked to cancer and neurological damage. The CDC warns that, "Phthalate exposure is widespread in the U.S. population."

The chemicals, which are usually found in plastics, make their way into fast food through machinery and workers' vinyl gloves. Many countries like Japan have banned vinyl gloves in workplaces where food is handled for this very reason.

"Right now there are few choices for individuals who are interested in reducing their exposure, and there's also not very much regulation" of phthalates, Ami Zota, assistant professor of environmental and occupational health at the George Washington University, told Bloomberg. "Research happens once they've been introduced in commerce, rather than before."