A Woman's Age At First Menstruation Influences Risk Of Obesity For Her Children

In mothers, earlier age of periods was associated with shorter adult height, increased weight, and body mass index compared with women whose periods started later. The children of women whose periods started earlier had a faster growth tempo, characterised by rapid weight gain and growth, particularly during infancy, which led to taller childhood stature. However this pattern of childhood growth is likely to result in earlier maturation and therefore shorter adult stature. This growth pattern is known to confer an increased risk of childhood and adult obesity.

The researchers conclude that "earlier age at menarche may indicate a transgenerational influence toward a faster tempo of childhood growth, which is transmitted from the mother to her offspring" and that "understanding the genetic, epigenetic, or behavioural factors that underlie this process will identify processes that regulate both the timing of puberty and the risk of childhood-onset obesity."

Citation: Ong KK, Northstone K, Wells JC, Rubin C, Ness AR (2007) Earlier mother's age at menarche predicts rapid infancy growth and childhood obesity. PLoS Med 4(4): e132. http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.0040132