Categories
Puberty & Growing Up

Early Puberty : Is Your child at Risk for Diabetes?

by Gorgeousgirl Staff, Updated January 31, 2017
Early Puberty : Is Your child at Risk for Diabetes?

Diabetes in Children

Puberty in girls is one of the most complicated things that women have to deal with. The age at which girls get their first period is a big deal since it signals her transition to maturity. But did you know that there is so much more riding on it than you think?

According to some scientific studies, entering puberty at an early age is associated with an increased risk of developing diabetes, specifically type 2 diabetes. If you wish to know more about this, it would be best that you continue reading.

The Study

The study is conducted on 15,000 women from eight European countries. In the said study, researchers have discovered that women who have experienced puberty earlier, between 8 to 11 years old, had 70% higher incidence of getting type 2 diabetes than those women who entered puberty at the age of 13, which is considered to be the standard age for experiencing puberty.

In addition to this, there were previous studies that have been conducted which showed that early onset of puberty is also associated with other health problems including certain types of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and obesity.

The Explanation Behind

So why are you at risk of diabetes type 2 if you have entered puberty earlier than expected? According to Cathy Elks, a research fellow from the University of Cambridge Epidemiology Unit, the body undergoes many changes during puberty and based on their previous researches and other related studies, the biological factors that are brought about by the timing of puberty development have an effect on your chances of experiencing type 2 diabetes.

One of these biological factors is your increased risk of being obese. As we all know, being overweight is a predisposing factor for type 2 diabetes. In fact, previous studies also show that about 50% of the women who have entered puberty earlier and suffered from type 2 diabetes also have high body mass index (BMI).

Conclusion

As we all know, it is impossible for women to have control over when they should be getting their period or enter puberty. But before you feel completely hopeless about the increased risk of having diabetes, you should understand the fact that there is one precaution that you can take to minimize such risk.

What is this? Lucky for you, there are a few things that you can control, and one of these is your weight. As mentioned above, your weight also plays a role in your chances of getting diabetes. Because of this, it would be best if you will start making healthy lifestyle choices.

First, you can try sticking to a healthy and balanced diet. Try to consume more fiber-rich foods like fruits and vegetables. In addition to that, you should shy away from highly processed and sugar-rich foods. Second, you should always try to stay within the recommended BMI by exercising regularly. Some of the best exercises include running, swimming, walking, cycling, yoga, and other types of cardiovascular exercises.

By Gorgeousgirl Staff

At GorgeousGirl, our staff is a collection of highly skilled cosmetologists, estheticians, and higher education professionals. Our personnel works together to satisfy your fancies.