Research has proven that obesity plays a factor in early puberty. Girls who are more obese tend to begin the pubertal process earlier. Since the 1960’s, it has been known that sexual maturation is correlated more with body size than with age and that once a girl meets the certain requirement of fat tissue, hormones that correspond with sexual maturation will begin to produce (52). Since the rate of obesity has increased dramatically compared to past generations, more girls are entering puberty earlier than before. The environment plays a considerable role in early puberty. Beginning as early as in the womb, exposures to chemicals and other environmental culprits effect us dramatically. By the time a girl goes through puberty, the exact cause may be unknown since chemicals are in the air and the girl has been exposed to all sorts of pollutants all her life. A chemical used in dairy and meat called Xenoestrogen, a hormone mimicker, acts like estrogen in the body. Many scientists believe that this chemical is one of the factors for early pubertal timing because of its previous reactions to the body. Xenoestrogen is surprisingly in many household products like pesticides, cosmetics, toiletries, etc. According to the authors, “more than 93 percent of Americans have traces of this chemical in their bodies …show more content…
Depression and anxiety are very common effects of early pubertal timing. Reasons being could be because they are insecure about their changing bodies compared to their peers who are not developing breasts or hair yet. These girls also have an increased risk of experimenting with drugs and alcohol earlier and also have earlier sexual experiences. Because of their physical features, older guys may be attracted to them, putting these girls at more risk of these situations because they look older than they actually are. With early puberty, there is an increase in the risk of breast cancer and heart disease. There are serious effects of early puberty that many do not realize until someone they know are affected by it. The authors provide information on how to manage the exposure to chemicals and other things that play a role in early puberty. It is impossible to stay away from everything that may have an effect on early puberty, considering how much our bodies are already exposed to chemicals in the environment and the food we eat, but there are many precautions that can be taken into consideration when buying certain foods or household products. The reader is also informed about the importance of having a healthy lifestyle and were given advice for having conversations about puberty with their young