Why are kids hitting pubrity sooner nowadays?

Answer 1

Just from what I've learned,it's a combination of what everyone here is saying,hormones,chemicals and obese children,but not evolution,it doesn't work like that,takes many centuries to evolve.
just for an example,when I went to
school,the growth hormones were not so common,neither was plastic,pollution was less,and almost none of the kids were in the slightest bit overweight.We were lanky and expected to get our own selves to school,run ragged in mandatory P.E.,etc.,and puberty rarely took place early,somewhere around 12 or 13 for girls,there ya go. so 30 odd years is sufficient to cause mutated responses to these things,but not "evolve".It's a very solid reason to get involved in making changes to help our world,and ourselves.

Answer 2

Puberty, the process of transition from childhood to early adulthood through a series of changes; doesn’t happen overnight. So while the process may begin at an age that many people think is too early, the average/normal age of the onset of puberty (in the US) is 9-16 in girls and 13-15 in boys. This has come down from the years before the late 1800s due to better nutrition and health care. But, the age at 1st menstruation, which averaged from about 17 in the 19th century to 12 -13 by about 1960, has been holding steady. True early puberty, called precocious puberty is when the onset of the signs of puberty begin before age 7 or 8 in girls and age 9 in boys. Although there are some studies (see: http://www.emcom.ca/Key/marcia.shtml) that have shown a racial difference in the average age of onset.

Research so far, into this subject has failed to establish a link between environmental causes and early puberty. According to LuAnn Moraski, DO, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Internal Medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin, "The vast majority of these theories have been unproven, there are no proven links to cosmetics, meats, or other factors in this country that I know of." While research is still being done, the main theory has to do with weight. Scientists are studying whether a protein produced by fat cells, influences glands that produce sex-related hormones. A few years ago, I saw a British science documentary that explained that once a child reaches a certain trigger weight, it signals their body to begin puberty.

In the field of endocrinology the idea that puberty has been occurring earlier and earlier is in dispute. See Gina Kolata’s article “Doubters Fault Theory Finding Earlier Puberty” at http://www.mindfully.org/Health/Earlier-Puberty-Doubters.htm . A quote from that article “A widespread belief about the onset of puberty in girls is coming under vigorous attack, led by a group of medical specialists who say that it is based on flawed science and that it can have dire medical consequences. The belief that girls are now starting puberty as early as age 6 or 7 began with a single study that critics say has serious problems.”

Answer 3

Some of it is because today we have better health care for younger children. They are not getting sick a much as they use to. The kids are getting 3 meals a day, blah blah. We cant blaim everything on food hormones. many times if a child is very un healthy going into normal puberty age they will be late, so just kinda shows that propours nution and health care speeds the puberty process along.

Answer 4

Being overweight when you reach that stage is more likely to cause earlier puberty than if you are normal weight. Just one cause, but probably the most widespread. Other causes listed below. It is not true that the use of growth hormones in cows and cattle causes early puberty. It would have shown up in the use of humane growth hormone and it doesn't. Vegetarian children also show the same tendencies.

Answer 5

There are a lot of different thoughts on this, but the one I heard the most was it was from all the hormones that are injected into the meat we eat.

Answer 6

Well what I've heard is that farmers give their animals growth hormones so that they grow faster and the cows will produce milk faster. Then when we drink the milk or eat the meat from these animals there are still traces of the growth hormone that we ingest. This is the theory I've heard anyway

Answer 7

BGH is a major reason. Other growth hormones in foods, too. Maybe genetics... I think maturing early is probably a dominant trait and getting passed on stronger... just like how brunettes are more and more common than they used to be across the entire world because dark hair is dominant over light hair.

Answer 8

Some blame it on todays' diets, and I think I'd have to agree with them. Like the hormone variants found in meat. That is why I am a vegetarian :)

Answer 9

Some toxins, such as PBB's, are causing early puberty. Also chickens have had estrogen added to their feed for year which has caused a problem. Then, there are the parents who allow 4th graders to dress and wear makeup like teenagers.

Answer 10

oh well i always thought that it was because they were getting into relationships earlier in life...so now they think that since they are in a relationship they should kiss..and other things....soo the body is like ok ur growing oh blah blahhhh go on with pubrety