title: Obesity in children and adolescents: relationship to growth, pubarche, menarche, and voice break.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The relationships between obesity, pubertal development, and height are controversial. Therefore, we compared the prevalence of pubarche, menarche, and voice break between a large collective of obese and normal-weight children and adolescents aged 10-16 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  We assessed weight, height, pubarche, menarche, and voice break in 1383 obese German children and in 6615 children of a representative national German cohort aged 10-16 years. In all obese children, gonadotropins were determined and birth weight data were collected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Independently of gender, the height standard deviation score (SDS) was significantly greater (0.3-1.0) in obese children <14 years compared to the reference cohort. Independently of age, the percentage of obese boys with pubarche was significantly lower compared to age-matched normal-weight boys. In girls <13 years, the prevalence of obese girls with pubarche was significantly lower compared to age-matched normal-weight girls. In boys > or =11 years, the percentage of obese boys with change of voice was significantly lower compared to age-matched normal-weight boys. In girls > or =11 years, the prevalence of obese girls with menarche was significantly lower compared to age-matched normal-weight girls. Birth weight had no impact on pubarche in the obese children. Luteinizing hormone was > 0.3 IU/L in 86% of the children > or =10 years with pubarche.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Obese children are taller than normal-weight children up to the age of 14 years. Since obese children demonstrated pubarche, menarche, and voice break later than their normal-weight peers, the increase in height in obese children does not seem to be attributable to earlier onset of puberty.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Nutrition Medicine, Vestische Hospital for Children and Adolescents, University of Witten/Herdecke, Datteln, Germany.
authors.forename: Michaela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kleber
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schwarz
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Reinehr
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001827:Body Height / Q000502:physiology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D048788:Growth and Development / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008572:Menarche / Q000502:physiology*; D009765:Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011627:Puberty / Q000502:physiology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D014831:Voice / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D007986:Luteinizing Hormone