What we found was that maturational timing -- onset of first period -- was not an important factor for adult obesity, once we accounted for the earlier overweight [as children]. So, it appears that the timing of menarche is a consequence, rather than a risk factor for adult overweight.

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For the parents of a girl who is not overweight and who gets her first period early, it doesn't mean she's at increased risk for being overweight as an adult. These findings are significant because they show us where our efforts should focus: childhood obesity.

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We know that children who are overweight have advanced bone development -- they grow faster in all ways, and they are usually taller than their non-overweight peers. That same sort of growth promotion could be linked to the early onset of the maturational change.

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