Childhood Obesity May Contribute To Later Onset Of Puberty For Boys

No wonder so few guys can man up to lose weight - fat guys are retarded in their development as men.

Increasing rates of obese and overweight children in the United States may be contributing to a later onset of puberty in boys, say researchers at the University of Michigan.

In a new study published in the February issue of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, researchers show that a higher body mass index during early and mid-childhood for boys is associated with later onset of puberty. This is one of the first longitudinal studies in the U.S. to examine the association between weight status and timing of puberty in boys.

"We found that increased body fatness is associated with a later onset of puberty in boys, the opposite of what we have seen in girls, as heavier girls tend to develop earlier, rather than later. Our study shows that the relationship between body fat and timing of puberty is not the same in boys as it is in girls," says U-M pediatric endocrinologist Joyce M. Lee, M.D., M.P.H., the study's lead author.

The explanation, at last.