I’ve seen a study which found that the age of puberty (especially female puberty) is dropping rapidly. In 1860 it started around 16.8 and in 2010 it was 10.8. Why is that? Is there any explanation?
In: Biology
We’re starting to think that weight is the significant factor in puberty, alongside nutrition and general good health. It is observed time and again that when people are undernourished and underweight they will have a later onset of puberty, and significant weight loss/inability to gain weight as you grow can make puberty become a more stop-start process. Other factors mentioned such as better understanding of human health, routine screening, what puberty is and entails, and even the social side (“teenagers” are a relatively new phenomena from a societal perspective!), also play a role.
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