Let's talk seriously about periods. Doctors and scientists have noticed an alarming trend. Some girls in primary school are experiencing their first period - menarche - as early as year five.
That's 9 or years-old. What does this mean? And could it be related to what they are eating? Paediatric and Adolescent Gynaecologist in the US Dr Julie Powell sees three potential causes for this earlier onset of girls' periods: obesity, chemical exposures and social and psychological stress. Right now, about one-quarter to one-fifth of children are obese. That's not overweight, that's obese, meaning that they are significantly above their recommended body weight.
Obesity in children has tripled in the last 30 years," she said. And that may be important, she said, because fat cells make estrogen. The more fat cells you have, the more estrogen your body makes. Estrogen, of course, is the main female sex hormone men have it too, in smaller amounts. So it makes logical sense that an overabundance of it could lead to earlier menstruation. And the relationship between fat cells and puberty may extend beyond estrogen, Powell said.
Two hormones control our appetite, she explained: ghrelin, which tells our bodies that we are hungry, and leptin, which tells us that we are full. And "leptin itself may be involved in puberty," she said. The relationship between obesity and early periods has not been definitively proved, Powell said, but substantial evidence points to an association. A disproportionate number of obese girls reach puberty earlier than those of normal weight. And while boys are also reaching puberty somewhat earlier than before though not to the same extent as girls , obese boys tend to come to it a little later than others.
One possible reason could be their increased levels of estrogen. But as Powell pointed out, other factors may be in play besides obesity. Scientists are studying whether chemicals or hormones that we encounter every day might be having an effect.
