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Dr. Christine Vergara, The Gynecology Center at Mercy

Dr. Christine Vergara, Adolescent Gynecology at Mercy, Addresses Recent Research Linking Early Weight Gain with Early Onset of Puberty

Researchers have found a trend regarding girls hitting puberty earlier in life. According to new research, 80 percent of girls who gained weight at a young age went into puberty before their peers. According to adolescent gynecology specialist Dr. Christine Vergara of The Gynecology Center at Mercy, the change is because enzymes in fat cells convert to estrogen. "You just have higher estrogen levels in girls with more body fat, so girls who are obese will start to have exposure to those hormones at an earlier age and will start to undergo changes that happen in puberty," Dr. Vergara said. Beyond the health dangers of obesity, diabetes and heart disease, another concern about early puberty is height. When girls begin puberty, growth plates in their bones start to close. Dr. Vergara also noted that beginning puberty earlier in life means doing so when girls are shorter, possibly keeping them at shorter heights.