And you thought it was the chicken

[A few years ago TIME Magazine did a cover story ('Teens Before Their Time', October 30, 2000) looking at what might be the possible reasons for our kids and grandkids reaching puberty at ridiculous ages. I recall that it quoted an endocrinologist in the USA as saying that they used to treat children, particularly girls, for precocious puberty as early as 8 years of age, but now patients are presenting at ages years younger.

Me, I'd come to put it down to hormones being fed to chickens and farm animals that we eat, and to plastics and other artificial products in our environment – after all, scientists tell us that now half of the fish in British rivers have changed sex because of pollutants. Consumer culture has given us an environment before testing it for safety over time.

Maybe it's those factors, and another we should consider. This was published on June 28, so please excuse that it's not 'fast-breaking news', but it seems it might be important important.]

Television watching may hasten puberty

"Children who watch a lot of television produce less melatonin, new research suggests – the 'sleep hormone' has been linked to timing of puberty.

"Scientists at the University of Florence in Italy found that when youngsters were deprived of their TV sets, computers and video games, their melatonin production increased by an average 30 per cent.

"'Girls are reaching puberty much earlier than in the 1950s. One reason is due to their average increase in weight; but another may be due to reduced levels of melatonin,' suggests Roberto Salti, who led the study. 'Animal studies have shown that low melatonin levels have an important role in promoting an early onset of puberty.'"
Source: New Scientist

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