manifests itself in the form of sexual risk taking

At Ukmedix News we have written on a number of occasions about how overweight and obese female teenagers are more likely to have unprotected sex therefore leading to a higher probability of contracting a STD or getting pregnant. Various research projects have shown how overweight female teenagers suffer from low self esteem and confidence which sometimes manifests itself in the form of sexual risk taking. 

New research done in Denmark shows that obesity even accelerates the process of puberty in teenage girls and leads them to get their first period on average before normal weight girls. The researchers who looked at around 3,200 Danish teenagers born between the years 1984 and 1987 examined BMI data and their age at their first first period and said that there was a clear correlation between obesity and early menstruation.

Girls who go through puberty at an earlier age are more likely to get sexually involved earlier and this comes with a number of risks.  You might think that an overweight teenage girl is unlikely to get as sexually involved as her normal weight friends but the evidence shows the opposite. Professor Sarah Keim from The Ohio State University College of Medicine also stated recently the early onset of menstruation has even been linked to higher rates of breast cancer.

Parents out there with overweight teenage girls should do something about the problem right away. Not only are overweight teenagers likely to have a whole list of health problems such as heart disease, diabetes and even cancer as they get older, but they are also likely to suffer from a lower quality of life and low self esteem.

The younger that children are when their weight problems are dealt with the more likely they are to be able to manage them as they get older. The longer you leave it more likely that your children will be obese for the rest of their lives.