Early Puberty In Girls May Be Result Of Obesity

Girls who are overweight beginning as early as age 3 are more likely to start puberty by the fourth grade, two years ahead of the U.S. average, researchers say.

Girls who are heavy for their size at age 3, and whose weight-to-height ratio increases faster than normal between age 3 and first grade, are likelier to start puberty earlier than their peers, say researchers at the University of Michigan’s C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital. Their study appears today in the journal Pediatrics.

The State Of . . .our little girls. It seems parents should be concerned about their little girl’s weight even at a young age. Unless, of course, you want her to begin puberty at an early age.