Childhood obesity linked to early puberty for girls, study says

Girls are hitting puberty at younger ages -- and the main factor associated with the surge is obesity, says a new long-term study.

Researchers from Cincinnati Children's Hospital have discovered that early puberty in terms of breast development is related to body mass index (BMI) and race.

"The obesity epidemic appears to be a prime driver in the decrease in age at onset of breast development in contemporary girls," the researchers write in their paper.

It's an association Canadian doctors say has been observed here as well.

Also see: Surprising thing that can lead to childhood obesity

The study, published in the journal Pediatrics, tracked the breast development of 1,239 American girls aged six to eight from 2004-2011, with examinations occurring at least once a year.

After adjusting for race and geographic location, the researchers found girls in the top 50th percentile of BMI were progressively more likely to develop breast buds than girls in the bottom 50th percentile. The highest rates of breast bud development were reported in girls above the 85th percentile of BMI.

While BMI contributed to about 14 per cent of the variances seen in breast development, race alone contributde to slightly more than 4 per cent.

There are a number of psychological and biological implications related to early puberty, reports CBS.

Also see: How the 'obesity gene' makes people fat

Girls who enter puberty early are believed to face additional risks for depression, low self-esteem and are more likely to be influenced by older peers by engaging in sexual intercourse and substance abuse.

Additionally, early puberty has been linked to a greater risk of hypertension as well as breast, ovarian and endometrial cancer later in life.

"Because early puberty and menarche are associated with many detrimental health and psychosocial issues, we must not accept this premature development as the 'new normal,'" argues Dr. Marcia. E. Herman-Giddens from the University of North Carolina in an editorial accompanying the study.