
Early Puberty in Girls: Weight, Chemicals, and Stress Driving a Global Shift
Girls worldwide are entering puberty earlier than in past generations, with the average onset of breast development and menarche shifting downward and potentially accelerating during the COVID-19 era. Obesity is a major driver, likely via leptin signaling, while environmental hormone-disrupting chemicals and psychological stress may contribute. Early puberty carries higher risks of obesity, heart disease, breast cancer, depression and anxiety, and can expose children to social discrimination. Clinicians are weighing when and how to intervene, including possible puberty-delaying treatments, and new Endocrine Society guidelines due mid-2026 aim to refine definitions and management and bolster education and support for affected children.









