Menstruation tied to weight

Girls are starting to menstruate earlier than ever. Now researchers have found that there may be a link to the childhood obesity trend. Researchers have discovered that overweight or obese girls get their period months earlier than their normal-weight peers. It could be a trend fueled primarily, but not exclusively, by diet and other lifestyle choices.

This is important because early-onset menstruation is directly linked to later health problems such as breast cancer. Girls who start menstruating early also start having sex earlier leaving them more vulnerable to the unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease. If early-onset menstruation can be avoided through lifestyle changes, then a preemptive attempt should be advised by pediatricians.

The study looked at Danish girls and corresponded their BMI to the start of their periods. On averages, girls started their period at 13 years old. Statistically this is six months later than the American girl average, but researchers explain this by pointing out the higher number of African American girls in our population. African American girls start their periods earlier than Caucasian girls.

For every increase in BMI point, the girl started her period 25 days earlier than average. Additionally, the girl’s mother’s weight was also correlated to the start date. For every point that the mother’s BMI went up during pregnancy, the daughter’s period came one week earlier.

This underscores the importance of keeping a healthy weight, not just for yourself, but also for your children.

Source: Reuters