Girls reaching puberty increasingly early, finds US study

Guardian ^ | 9 August 2010 | Ed Pilkington

[Ben Mugged]

A US study shows that almost one in four black girls and one in 10 white girls had developed breasts by the age of seven.

The findings are the latest in a string of studies showing that girls in the US are reaching puberty sooner, with implications both for the social and emotional wellbeing of girls as well as for their physical health in later life. Early maturation has been shown to cause low self-esteem and doubts about body image, as well as greater rates of eating problems, depression and attempted suicide.

It is linked to earlier sexual experiences, and later on carries greater risks of breast cancer.

The researchers found that at the age of seven 23.4% of black girls, 14.9% of Hispanics and 10.4% of white girls had developed breasts.

At 8 those proportions had risen further to 42.9%, 30.9% and 18.3% respectively.

A similar survey completed in 1997 found the proportion of white girls who had developed breasts by seven was 5% — half of what it is today.

The proportion of black girls in that bracket has also shot up in the past decade, from 15% in 1997 to 23% today.

Studies have shown that in the 1700s girls began menstruation on average at about age 17-18, though that might be as much to do with widespread malnutrition as with other factors.

Experts point to several possible causes of the declining age of puberty.

[momtothree]

Our kids do weigh more; however, they are also eating so many chemicals in processed foods and growth hormone in meat/milk. I started to really, really read food labels/ingredients lately and soy is used in so much of it. Have a loaf of bread handy? Read the label. Chances are soy is in it and most of what is in your pantry. Just a thought

[huldah1776]

Aren’t most of the baby formulas made with soy?

Highest rates of early puberty among those who receive WIC.

Here’s a good article from those who support breast feeding. Ironic, eh?

http://www.breastfeeding.com/reading_room/what_should_know_formula.html

[roses of sharon]

Yes, and it has been reported for years that serious gymnasts have delayed onset of puberty/menstruation.

Diet and exercise...body fat is the most likely explanation.

[KarinG1]

one in four black girls and one in 10 white girls

Racist study. Everybody knows there is no physical difference between British African-Americans and crackers, aside from the color of their skin.

[Richard Kimball]

I remember when I learned about the birds and the bees. My first thought was, “That means MOM AND DAD did it! And I’ve got a brother! That means they DID IT TWICE!”

[KarinG1]

My mistake. After further review I now find the girls are American African-Americans and crackers and only the messenger is British. Other than that, I’ll stand behind my original politically correct post.

[patriot08]

Bush's fault.

[Grumpybutt]

Me too!!! LOL

[patriot08]

I am not a bio-scientist and have no proof of my guess - but I think our media culture where kids are getting exposed to all forms of sexuality, both through media and even in the class rooms, is probably helping them mature sexually prematurely. Afterall, all growth is controlled by the amount of hormones, and chemicals generated inside the body, which is probably related to thoughts generated inside the mind.
_________________________

I was thinking along the same lines...makes sense.

[BigGaloot]

Just playing devil’s advocate here, but by that logic, since she can’t fix something as complicated as obesity in two years, should Obama be able to fix the economy?

[fr_freak]

Just playing devil’s advocate here, but by that logic, since she can’t fix something as complicated as obesity in two years, should Obama be able to fix the economy?

Maybe, maybe not. Given the lag time between major policy changes and the end results, two years would probably be too soon to expect him to "fix" the economy. However, some bad policies can screw things up immediately (letting the tax cuts expire, for example) and other bad policy can take years to do its full damage (CRA, for example). In Obama's case, he is engaging in both bad policy that is screwing things up immediately (such as nationalizing an automaker, screwing the stockholders, and then acting shocked that the market is skittish after) AND he is implementing bad policy that will destroy the economy years in the future (health care, for example). Therefore, we can at least demand that he not screw things up worse.

With a thing like obesity, though, there is no direct action that Michelle Obama (aka the First Wookie) can take to make obesity worse OR better, other than to starve the population into thinness, which her husband is working on very diligently. The Wookie can't FORCE people (yet) to stop shoving twinkies down their throats, nor get off of their butts and play outside, but the author of this article felt it necessary to make a statement absolving her of any blame, even when there is no possible way she could have affected the outcome, anyway, merely to avoid the possibility that someone might hold the Obamas responsible for something.

[devere]

I believe that it is the artificial hormones in milk that is causing this epidemic of early puberty.

Switch to organic milk and these cases of early puberty will go away.

[VermiciousKnid]

At least you believed them when they told you how they “did it.” I thought they were all pulling my leg, that they were all as crazy as June bugs and I flat-out told them so. “You’re CRAZY! Nobody would do THAT!” I said...LOL

Ah, innocence...

Regards,

[GGpaX4DumpedTea]

“What about lactose-intolerant babies?”

To their own mother’s milk? And lactose intolerance is mostly the result of pasteurization - kills all the enzymes, including lactase, which enables our bodies to digest lactose. Goat’s milk, not pasteurized, is also usually tolerated.

Avoid the crap they pawn off as substitutes for babies. All generally bad, especially the soy based products.

[RockinRight]

I’ve known of several babies that can’t tolerate their own mothers milk.

[RockinRight]

Got a problem with my Mediterranean (Italian) heritage?;-)

[RockinRight]

FWIW although about 50% of my genes are Southern European, the rest are mostly Northern European...

[RockinRight]

I remember as a horny young teen watching gymnasts and thinking “she’s cute but has no b**bs at all...”

That explains it...

[RockinRight]

Interesting. I wonder if there is some sort of way to do a case study.

[Mase]

I believe that it is the artificial hormones in milk that is causing this epidemic of early puberty.

Those artificial hormones are identical to the hormones the cow produces naturally. This fact isn't even relevant since bovine growth hormones can't interface with human hormone receptors. These hormones are specific to cows only.

Switch to organic milk and these cases of early puberty will go away.

Organic milk contains the same bovine hormones as non-organic milk. The early onset of puberty is being caused by an increase in average body weight. It has nothing to do with milk, organic or otherwise.