By Gina Gomez
Aug 10, (THAINDIAN NEWS) A new study has revealed that an increasing number of girls in the United States are hitting puberty at a much younger age while child obesity is considered to be one of the prime reasons for this trend. The revelation of the study which points out that girls as young as seven are attaining puberty, has raised concerns as experts contend that early puberty might pose a greater breast cancer risk for the girls at a later stage in their lives.

According to the study which was published in the American journal Pediatrics on Monday, the girls who hit puberty at a much younger age have a higher risk of developing breast or endometrial cancer later in their lives compared to their peers. The main reason for this is that the women who menstruate for a longer period of time are more prone to cancer, the authors of the study have reiterated. The research which took into account as many as 1,239 girls from Harlem, Cincinnati as well as the San Francisco area found that by the young age of seven, 23.4 per cent of black girls, 14,9 per cent of Hispanic girls and 10.4 per cent of white girls develop breasts while they also develop other signs of puberty.

The findings of the study has been backed by researchers in Britain who pointed out that they have treated girls as young as seven and eight with puberty-related issues. The doctors have cautioned that the early exposure to oestrogen might result in major setback to health as the girls become more prone to breast cancer as well as heart diseases.