Childhood obesity leads to precocious puberty
Obesity among young people could be the cause of increasingly precocious puberty, according to a new study carried out by the University of Plymouth (England). If in 1920 the age of puberty, according to the study, was 14.6 years for girls, this figure has now risen to 10.5 years. A significant drop .
The particularly serious study was published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (1) and provides some answers to this phenomenon. New discoveries have been made.
Purpose of the study and SHBG hormone
The study focused on a protein called SHBG (for sex hormone-binding globulin , which has no real equivalent in French).
The role of this hormone, in a simplified way, is to allow puberty. The rate in the body of this hormone is very high in children, then it decreases significantly just before puberty (thus allowing it to occur). Puberty occurs when SHBG levels are low.
The study was conducted on 347 pupils, in the city of Plymouth (England). All the students were between 5 and 15 years old.
Research has shown that a child who is overweight at the age of 5 tends to have a lower level of SHBG in the body. As a result, puberty appears faster than in other students. A trend even more obvious among girls than among boys.
Weight problems would disrupt hormones like SHBG, leading to early puberty. However, researchers do not currently know what could chemically explain this link.
Explication possible
A possible explanation, put forward by the University of Plymouth, would be that human beings need a certain amount of energy in order to reproduce. A well ( too ) nourished human being would then be in a better condition to reproduce according to evolutionary patterns. For pregnancy, for example, a “ good nutritional status ” is indeed necessary. The body could thus detect that in obese children, being overweight is a sign that the human body is more ready to reproduce, thus facilitating puberty compared to other children whose build is less. A rational explanation which, however, has not yet been demonstrated.
Conversely, in very malnourished children (malnutrition, etc.), the formation of the organs necessary for reproduction is slowed down (in the most serious cases, infertility can even be observed according to the University of Plymouth).
Hormones linked to corpulence and nutrition would therefore be closely linked to hormones linked to the reproductive organs.
The age of puberty has been steadily decreasing for decades. The university indicates that in 1920 the onset of puberty in girls was around 14.6 years of age. In 1950, the age dropped to 13.1. In 1980, the fall continued, puberty was on average at 12.5 years. Finally, in 2010, it is located at 10.5 years. Significant differences that would be explained by the way we feed ourselves.
A study that echoes obesity figures in England
The university concludes its press release by stating that this study echoes obesity figures in England. The latest estimates based on studies from 2012/2013 show that a third of children aged 10 to 11 are at least overweight . For younger children, 4 to 5 years old, a fifth are affected by overweight.
To check if your child is obese or overweight, according to INPES standards and health records in France, you can consult our dedicated page .
Stephen Paul is the lead author and founder of My Health Sponsor. Holder of a diploma in health and well-being coaching with more than 200 articles in the field of health, he makes it a point of honor to offer advice based on reliable information, based on scientific research, and verified by health professionals.