Reports of earlier onset of puberty in urban populations have been increasing over the past two decades, raising important clinical and public health questions. Traditionally, thelarche before 8 years in girls and testicular enlargement before 9 years in boys is considered precocious puberty. However, clinicians are now encountering earlier pubertal signs in otherwise healthy children , particularly in metropolitan settings, prompting debate on whether this represents true pathological precocity or a shift in population trends.
One of the most widely discussed contributors is childhood obesity , which has been strongly linked with earlier pubertal onset, especially in girls. Adipose tissue influences hormonal signalling through leptin secretion, insulin resistance, and increased peripheral aromatization of androgens to estrogens , potentially accelerating…
