Study: Boys hitting puberty earlier than ever before
Photographer: WEWS
Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Posted: 10/22/2012
CLEVELAND - If kids seem like they are growing up fast -- well, according to a new study -- they are.
A new study in the journal, "Pediatrics" states that boys are hitting puberty six months to two years earlier than in the past.
Researchers said they don't know what is causing the accelerated growth, but it is possible that childhood obesity, lack of exercise, junk food and even chemicals in the environment could be the cause.
During the study, doctors examined more than 4,000 boys, age 6 to 16, and recorded the physical changes in their bodies. The beginning of puberty is noted by enlarged testes and the start of sperm production.
The study found that boys are ending puberty at about the same time they have in the past.
Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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