Is Obesity Associated With Early Sexual Maturation? A Comparison of the Association in American Boys Versus Girls

Increasing evidence suggests a close association between early sexual maturation (SM) and obesity in girls and female adults. Earlier maturing girls are more likely to be obese than nonearly maturers. However, limited research has been conducted in boys.

To examine the influence of early SM on fatness in boys and compare it with girls, and to test the hypothesis that the associations differ by gender because of the differences in growth and SM patterns in boys and girls. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SUBJECTS: One thousand five hundred one girls and 1520 boys (aged 8-14 years) who participated in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey survey (1988-1994) and had complete anthropometry (weight, height, skinfold thickness) and SM data.