Obesity in children is a growing problem in the United States. As of 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that one in five children suffers from obesity. A study found that this issue may also lead to growth problems in girls entering puberty, as researchers state that obesity can impact the timing of puberty in them.
A team of researchers from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences discovered that obese girls may have higher levels of testosterone in their bodies, which can lead to irregular menstrual cycles, the emergence of acne, and increased body hair. The researchers add that puberty can differ among obese girls concerning breast development and reproductive hormones.
According to previous studies, young females with excess weight start puberty and experience their first menstrual cycle earlier than girls of normal weight. However, it remains unclear whether obesity affects not only the timing of puberty but also the levels of reproductive hormones in girls, which can impact the development of female reproductive organs such as the breasts, ovaries, and uterus.
The study's lead author, Dr. Natalie Shaw, stated, "We found in our study that in mid to late puberty, girls with a greater amount of total body fat exhibited higher levels of certain reproductive hormones, including follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), inhibin B, and male-like hormones such as testosterone."
Dr. Shaw added, "In some girls with a high percentage of total body fat, elevated testosterone levels were associated with irregular menstrual cycles, the emergence of acne, and increased body hair. By late puberty, girls with increased body fat percentage showed a delay in breast maturation, as determined by breast ultrasound examination, while early menstruation was observed, and there were no differences in ovarian or uterine maturation due to increased body fat accumulation."
### Impact of Obesity on Physical Maturation
Over four years, researchers studied 90 girls aged between 8 and 15 years old, classifying 36 of them as obese while 54 had normal weight. The team calculated total body fat using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), tracked puberty using growth charts, breast and pelvic ultrasounds, measured hormone levels in blood samples, and recorded the age of each girl when she experienced her first menstrual cycle.
The results indicated that girls with higher total body fat had differences in reproductive hormone levels, developed mature breasts more slowly, and experienced their first menstrual cycle earlier than girls with lower total body fat. Dr. Shaw remarked, "The long-term implications of these differences in puberty markers warrant further study and research."
