U.S. girls hitting puberty sooner

AMERICAN girls as young as six are reaching puberty — and experts say childhood obesity, stress and hormone-disrupting chemicals may be to blame! The University of North Carolina’s Dr. Marcia Herman-Giddens explains data has shown the age of puberty among females has dropped dramatically since the mid-1990s. Scientists believe excess weight, emotional trauma and phthalates — which are used to improve the durability of plastics — could contribute to the early-onset changes, which also increase gals’ risk of developing breast and uterine cancer.

GLOBE / July 18, 2022