Prot
05-24-2009, 10:40 AM
It’s said that in our generation, little girls have become ‘little women’ at a much earlier age than their moms. Maybe it’s Barbie, and the other imagery that little girls are exposed to. But studies also found a trend of earlier puberty in girls in the last few decades, that may be related to an obesity epidemic.
One study showed that being overweight as a child and shorter height may contribute to an earlier puberty in girls, starting as early as age nine. And another study found that a mother’s age of menarche may predict her children’s early growth and risk of obesity. It’s also known that age of menarche, or the first menstrual period is hereditary.
New evidence now points to an association between the timing of puberty and both height and body weight. Published early in Nature Genetics, scientists found two genetic locations are strongly connected with a 5-week reduction in the “age of menarche” or first menstrual period in young girls. One of these locations also influences height, and two other loci are associated with body mass index and age of menarche.
An earlier start of menstruation is an established risk factor for breast cancer and endometrial cancer, so understanding what genetic factors influence the timing of puberty might help with preventing the diseases associated with it.
http://www.blisstree.com/geneticsandhealth/genes-for-puberty-and-body-weight-related/
One study showed that being overweight as a child and shorter height may contribute to an earlier puberty in girls, starting as early as age nine. And another study found that a mother’s age of menarche may predict her children’s early growth and risk of obesity. It’s also known that age of menarche, or the first menstrual period is hereditary.
New evidence now points to an association between the timing of puberty and both height and body weight. Published early in Nature Genetics, scientists found two genetic locations are strongly connected with a 5-week reduction in the “age of menarche” or first menstrual period in young girls. One of these locations also influences height, and two other loci are associated with body mass index and age of menarche.
An earlier start of menstruation is an established risk factor for breast cancer and endometrial cancer, so understanding what genetic factors influence the timing of puberty might help with preventing the diseases associated with it.
http://www.blisstree.com/geneticsandhealth/genes-for-puberty-and-body-weight-related/