Motherhood and Obesity

I've read a theory that the onset of menstrual cycles are starting earlier and earlier because of the estrogen and other hormones that are shot into cows. I sure can't help but wonder if there could be any link between the hormones and obesity.

Brian

Our world is highly estrogenic now, not just cows. Plastic bottles, DDT, soy in everything - all those act like pseudoestrogens.

TMI Warning: There are girls who get their period after age 15? I got mine right before I turned 14 and I felt like *everybody* had gotten theirs already.

This will fly in the face of the research - I started menstruating late. I even had to go to the doctor to get a "jump start" (it was a long time ago, I can't remember all the details). And I'm considerably overweight. I think the real problem is all the hormones and crap that's shot into our food supply, as Brian mentioned. For proof (and I understand that it's not really "proof", just visual), just look at a class of middle-school kids - 6,7 & 8 grade - you will see MANY more fully developed kids there than you did when you were in school.

It's frightening.

And I'm just the opposite of Laura...I got my period when I was 11 and I'm not overweight. My sister got hers later...I think she was 13 and my mom's came when she was 10. At that time in my life, I was a bit chunky but not obese. I think a lot of it has to do with how much fat you have on you at the time when you're starting puberty, since fat stores extra estrogen.

Oh, and don't forget about all the estrogen in BC pills that women pee out into our water supply...it's getting higher and higher each year.

PastaQueen said:
TMI Warning: There are girls who get their period after age 15? I got mine right before I turned 14 and I felt like *everybody* had gotten theirs already.[...]

I have friends who were 17 when they got theirs, and yeah, they are tall and skinny. I got mine 1 week after turning 11, so almost 10. I'm doomed.

I do my part by not taking the pill and preaching against artificial hormones to anyone who will hear (and no, I don't have 17 kids, I'm not anti birth control, I'm just against artificial female hormones).

I'm no scientist, but I always noticed that my really skinny friends got their period later than most girls. I always assumed that this is because their body weight was too low to support pregancy (I fully admit that I may be way off base on that). And it seems reasonable that a teenager with low body weight often grows to be an adult with a low or average body weight. Therefore skinny teens who started her period rarely become obese. Maybe the reverse is also true.

Perhaps this is an issue of correlation and not causation?

I was 11, but so far my 9.5 year old (skinny) daughter shows no signs of impending puberty. Whew. One less thing to feel guilty about.

I also thought that breastfeeding lowers the rate of childhood obesity. I am not sure about this study. At first it was affirmative. But now it's negative. Maybe there are other factors which were not considered.

I think JC's got it. It's probably correlation, not causation. My understanding of most girls who start late are usually very thin. Then if they are thinner at that time of their life (whether it from genetics or lifestyle) it's probably more likely they will stay thin.

I am not sure if which research regarding breastfeeding holds true. I know someone who breastfed longer than normal and grew up fine. It could be that the latter study is false or the risk was not high enough.

Also, what's "longer than normal" for USA (not sure what country you are from, sorry) at this point in time is decidedly NOT normal for most of the world and much of history. Just another interesting point.

Sally said:
I am not sure if which research regarding breastfeeding holds true. I know someone who breastfed longer than normal and grew up fine. It could be that the latter study is false or the risk was not high enough.[...]

Well, i got my period when i was 13. All the other girls in school had already gotten thier's, and they all were average weight.( i was chubby in middle school). My sister got hers at 11, she has the same habbits i had at that age, we seem to eat the same things too, but she is slim and slender. So if this is true, shouldn't it be the other way around?

I'm with JC. If you admit that "age at menarche is strongly related to your weight" as the quote says, and that obese people are far more likely to raise obese children, I'm not sure the correct conclusion to draw is that the early puberty of the mother causes the children's obesity. Rather, the mother's obesity causes the children's obesity.

I got mine when I was 11 and that's early.
Question; my parents are not that tall and Im still 13. Can I grow more or have i stop growing.
Help me!!!!!!!!!!!