clear link between increased body weight and the later start of puberty in boys

Proof that obesity has a detrimental effect on children has been determined in a recent study which shows that obese boys go through puberty at a later age. The lead author of the study Dr. Joyce Lee from the University of Michigan explained that there is a clear link between increased body weight and the later start of puberty in boys which is the opposite of what happens with girls. Overweight females tend to develop at an earlier age.

The study used data of the NICH & Human Development Study of Early Child Care & Youth Development. The researchers specifically analysed medical data (including their height and their weight from the ages of two to twelve) from over 400 boys from a range of different socioeconomic backgrounds in different parts of America.

The results showed that a late onset of puberty was twice as likely in those boys with a high body mass index compared to those boys with a low body mass index. Those boys with a medium body mass index also underwent higher than normal rates of late puberty.

Doctor Lee explained that with the number of obese children in United States having doubled over the last twenty years is important that doctors understood all of the negative health implications of the condition. The study which was published in the medical journal Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine should encourage further research in this area which is needed to fully understand why this occurs.

Ukmedix News has published research previously which shows that testosterone levels are lower in overweight and obese men and it could be that this is linked to the later onset of puberty in boys. Overweight men are also less fertile and suffer from poorer sperm quality when compared to their normal weight peers.