Obesity May Hinder Male Puberty, Study Suggests

A study of over 400 boys suggests that obese boys are half as likely than normal-sized boys to begin puberty by age 11 and a half. This result is quite opposite to previous studies of girls. These studies showed that obese girls tend to hit puberty much earlier than those of normal weight.

In boys, obesity can negatively affect mental and physical growth and development. This delay can have severe self esteem effects. Obese children already tend to be more picked on by others; a slow development may only worsen this. The complete effects are unknown.

Published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, researchers found that by the end of the study, 14 percent of obese boys had not yet started puberty. On the other hand, only 7 percent of boys of normal weight had not.

The exact causes of this delay are unknown. The hormone lepin was once thought to be the cause. Since it is found in elevated levels in people with more fat, male and female, it cannot be the reason. One theory suggests that fat converts male hormones into estrogen, thus slowing male development.

The long-term effects must still be studied. Researchers believe that there is one benefit to this discovery - parents with this knowledge will quickly see the effect of obesity on their sons. Early intervention may hinder other illnesses, such as diabetes and hypertension, that are closely attributed with obesity.