Girls Reach Puberty Earlier

A new report shows that girls in the U.S. are reaching puberty at an earlier age.
A new study in the journal Pediatrics shows that girls as young as 7 or 8 years old are developing breasts.
Doctors aren't sure what's causing the change, but obesity might be to blame.
Body fat is linked to the production of sex hormones.
Developing faster can have physical and psychological effects. As far as physical effects, doctors say girls who go through puberty earlier are more likely to develop breast cancer. As for psychology impact, girls who go through puberty at an early age are more likely to engage in risky behavior.
About 10% of 7-year-old white girls were developing breasts and about 23% of 7-year-old African-American girls. Compare that with 1997, when doctors found that 5% of white girls and 15% of African-American girls were developing breasts.