According to researchers, nearly 50 percent obese boys were less likely to enter puberty by 11 and half years than those of normal weight.
Pediatric endocrinologist Joyce M. Lee, the study’s lead author stated, “We found that increased body fatness is associated with a later onset of puberty in boys, the opposite of what we have seen in girls, as heavier girls tend to develop earlier, rather than later.
"Our study shows that the relationship between body fat and timing of puberty is not the same in boys as it is in girls.”
Data of 401 boys analyzed
To explore the relationship between weight and puberty in boys, the researchers at the University of Michigan Health System analyzed data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development.
The investigators tracked 401 boys for 10 years starting at the age of two. The subjects hailed from diverse socio-economic backgrounds across ten different regions in the U.S. They were then divided into groups classified as normal, overweight, and obese.
The height and weight of the boys was measured at the age of two, and right through 12 years. Tanner genitalia staging was used to measure puberty.
The results exhibited that 14 percent of the obese boys and 13.3 percent classified as overweight experienced delayed puberty as opposed to just seven percent of boys having normal weight.
Some plausible explanations
The researchers feel there is need for further research to determine the impact of obesity on pre-adolescent boys.
However, they speculated that the digestive hormone leptin, and the sex hormone estradiol which appear in high proportion in obese boys could play a vital role in retarding male development.
The negative aspects of obesity highlighted by the study may goad parents to encourage children to follow a healthy diet and exercise regime.
Combating obesity not only eliminates the delays in development but also cuts the heightened risk of diabetes, hypertension and heart problems once the kids grow up.
Lee concluded, “Our findings have important implications for understanding sex differences in physiological mechanisms of puberty. Given the recent childhood obesity epidemic, additional studies are needed to further investigate the epidemiological link between fat and pubertal initiation and progression in boys as well as physiological mechanisms responsible."
The study is published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.
Post new comment