New research shows a link between health problems in kids and adolescents and phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA), CBS News reported.

The study, published Monday in Pediatrics, tested to find out if chemicals used to manufacture plastics called phthalates contributed to insulin resistance in children.

766 adolescents aged 12 to 19 participated in the study from 2003 to 2008, with their dietary and nutritional habits tracked during the long-term research.

Lead author Dr. Leo Trasande, associate professor of pediatrics at the NYU School of Medicine, said insulin resistance is a problem because it is a hormone responsible for breaking down sugars and starches. Insulin is made in the pancreas and helps produce blood sugar, or glucose, in the body.

Resistance to insulin will cause glucose to build up over time and eventually leads to prediabetes, Type 2 diabetes and, in serious cases, heart disease. Phthalates have previously been negatively linked insulin and to the endocrine system of adults, but little was known about teens.

"There is increasing concern that environmental chemicals might be independent contributors to childhood diseases related to the obesity epidemic," Trasande told HealthDay. "Our research adds to these growing concerns."

Also published in Pediatrics, was a study about the adverse effects of BPA on obesity. BPA is oft found in consumer packaging, most commonly lining aluminum cans to protect against corrosion. It has been banned in baby bottles and similar products for infants, but can be found in tableware, bottles, food storage containers and other plastics.

"Although the evidence about BPA and adverse health effects are not definitive, as a clinician, I do recommend that parents try to avoid BPA-containing plastics when possible to minimize their family's exposure," the study's lead author, Dr. Joyce Lee, an associate professor of pediatric endocrinology at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, told Reuters. "I also tell them to avoid microwaving food in plastic containers, as this can lead to chemicals leaking into the food."

Dr. Hugh Taylor, chair of the Yale School of Medicine's department of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences told HealthDay he believes children should simply eat better.

"It's probably more about the type of diet these kids are eating," Taylor said. "A move toward healthier natural food is always a good idea, not just because of the elimination of BPA and phthalates but for all the other health benefits. If we think about more common-sense eating of healthy foods that aren't packaged in a way that would introduce BPA and phthalates, we would be so much better off."