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[Cthulhu]

As the late great Strongbad once said "Babies, havin' babies"

[ChairmanPoo]

I don't think it's particularily worrysome. As it has been commented already, body fat plays a pivotal role in puberty, and it's known that a lack of body fat results in a later onset (there's even a formula that, in children that do intensive sports, factors in how long they've been practising them to estimate how much of a puberty delay they'll get). So as nutrition improves, it makes sense that more people will, in that regard, hit puberty earlier, as, in practice, what's actually going on is that it's not being delayed.
(For the record, at the moment the lower normality range is 9 for males and 8 for females, so if it's above those -and under the higher normality range- no worries)

[Eugenitor]

Excellent. Our public bioengineering program is proceeding as planned.

[Sir Pseudonymous]

I recall someone arguing, the last time this came up, that increased body fat can also give the illusion of puberty in females. That's not to say that increased body fat can't also lower the age (which it presumably can, since it goes along with increased nutrition as far as biology goes), but that it can screw with the diagnoses.

[Vector]

I recall someone arguing, the last time this came up, that increased body fat can also give the illusion of puberty in females. That's not to say that increased body fat can't also lower the age (which it presumably can, since it goes along with increased nutrition as far as biology goes), but that it can screw with the diagnoses.

No, no.  Female puberty onset is defined by menarche--i.e., one's first period.

Increased fat cannot induce fake bleeding-everywhere.  It doesn't work like that.  The thing, though, is that puberty requires estrogen--and adipose cells (fat cells) produce estrogen.  This is why women who have become unhealthily thin stop getting their periods.  My personal guess is that a lot of it is tied in to childhood obesity.

[Josephus]

and eat snakes and babies and shit.

All at once?

Yes. Clearly us primitive Asians and our monstrous outdated ethics have no sense of taste, or I would otherwise separate the three.

[Sir Pseudonymous]

I recall someone arguing, the last time this came up, that increased body fat can also give the illusion of puberty in females. That's not to say that increased body fat can't also lower the age (which it presumably can, since it goes along with increased nutrition as far as biology goes), but that it can screw with the diagnoses.

No, no.  Female puberty onset is defined by menarche--i.e., one's first period.

Increased fat cannot induce fake bleeding-everywhere.  It doesn't work like that.  The thing, though, is that puberty requires estrogen--and adipose cells (fat cells) produce estrogen.  This is why women who have become unhealthily thin stop getting their periods.  My personal guess is that a lot of it is tied in to childhood obesity.

I don't believe that's how it was being judged in the studies, however. Hence the statements of errors in their methodology. If it was, then whoever I'm citing was talking out their ass.

[Vector]

Breast formation also looks markedly different from "fat baby."  It's only after development has actually happened that you'd be able to see the difference.  During, though... well, that tends to be pretty obvious, most of the time.

[/things you didn't want to know today]

[Sensei]

"Better" being always a relative term.  If this trend continues, by 2030 the American race will be a people born as spherical adolescent blobs.  We must take action.

[Retro]

If this trend continues, by 2030 the American race will be a people born as spherical adolescent blobs. We must take action.

Hey, that'll leave the job market totally open to us present day human-shaped humans. I'm cool with this.

[Heron TSG]

No, because without children, there is no future! Without no future, there will be no jobs! Therefore, we must have normal babies to provide time to go jobhunting!

[ToonyMan]

Well if you die you're not living anymore.

[Africa]

I wonder if it's possible that somehow some kind of social or psychological factor could cause this.

Well, to be exact, of course it's POSSIBLE, I wonder if it's happening.

[Vector]

I wonder if it's possible that somehow some kind of social or psychological factor could cause this.

Well, to be exact, of course it's POSSIBLE, I wonder if it's happening.

Kind of doubting it.  There's high selection pressure against early female puberty, social-factors-wise.  The parents don't want it, the kids don't want it, the classmates don't want it.  Kids who end up chesty too early are often traumatized (I know a couple of these people, and they're pretty miserable about it even eleven years later).

Of course, an anecdote does not a scientific study make, but it seems pretty improbable.

[cerapa]

Maybe this is just peoples bodies saying: Im healthy and get plenty of food, time to make babies!

Basically just good living conditions. Humans are more about quality than quantity and i wouldnt be suprised if puberty hits off while theres plenty of food and little chance that the baby gets eaten.