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WASHINGTON Puberty looks different, in terms of both reproductive hormones and breast maturation, in girls with excess total body fat, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society s
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
Previous studies found that girls with obesity start puberty and experience their first menstrual period earlier than girls with normal weight. It is unknown if excess body fat can alter not only the timing of puberty, but also a girl s reproductive hormone levels and development of reproductive organs such as the breasts, ovaries and uterus. We found that in mid- to late puberty, girls with greater total body fat demonstrated higher levels of some reproductive hormones including follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), inhibin B and male-like hormones such as testosterone. In some girls with higher total body fat, higher testosterone levels were associated with irregular menstrual cycles, acne and excess body hair, said study autho