Childhood obesity 'to blame for early puberty'

July 29, 2014  17:07

Children are reaching puberty five years earlier than a century ago as obesity interrupts hormonal changes in the body, a study has found.

The onset of puberty in girls was 14.6 years in 1920, compared to 10.5 in 2010, researchers have found.

While in boys, sexual maturity consistently occurred around a year later than their female peers, Daily Mail reports.

The scientists behind the study at Plymouth University found the childhood obesity epidemic could be to blame as weight gain causes harmful changes to a child's hormone levels, allowing puberty to happen earlier.

Past studies have suggested early puberty could increase a child's chance of suffering cancer and other serious health problems later in life.

The team studied hormone levels in 347 schoolchildren aged five to 15 years old.

They found a child who is heavier at five tends to have lower levels of a protein called sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), and reaches puberty sooner.

The tendency was more striking in girls than boys, the team noted.

SHBG binds to the sex hormones androgen and oestrogen and while levels are initially high in childhood, they decline significantly before puberty, to allow sexual maturity to happen.

Researchers have suggested that hormonal disturbances associated with weight gain - combined with inflammation - could be the biological mechanism that explains the link between obesity and the declining age of puberty.

Lead researcher, Professor Jonathan Pinkney, at Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry, said: 'There are critical windows early in life which the die is cast for our long term health.'

 The World Health Organization recognises childhood obesity as one of the most serious global health challenges for the 21st century.

Figures from the UK’s National Child Measurement Programme 2012/13 show that almost a third of 10 to 11 year olds and more than a fifth of four to five year olds were either obese or overweight.

Follow NEWS.am Medicine on Facebook and Twitter


 
  • Video
 
 
  • Event calendar
 
 
  • Archive
 
  • Most read
 
  • Find us on Facebook
 
  • Poll
Are you aware that in 2027 medical insurance will become mandatory for all Armenian citizens?
I’m aware, and I'm in favor
I’m not aware, and I'm against
I'm aware, but I'm still undecided
I'm not aware, but in principle I'm in favor
I'm not aware, but in principle I'm against
It doesn't matter to me