Besides, things won't get really hairy until 2nd or 3rd grade. Because that's when puberty makes it's leering entrance. Like I said, hairy.
A new study published in the journal Pediatrics has been making the rounds recently. It says that 10 % of white girls and 23% of black girls are showing signs of puberty as young as seven years old. And then I stopped reading because I had clawed out my own eyes with a back scratcher.
Seven year-old girl boobs, people.
The study goes on to suggest (My wife read it out loud over my eyeless thrashing and wailing) that obesity may play a large part in the early onset of puberty. Exposure to environmental chemicals has been considered but no large scale studies of said chemicals have been done in the U.S.
One thing that the numbers do strongly suggest; thought there are increases at different class levels, there is definitely a socio-economic relationship.
Poor, fat, menstruating 3rd graders. Fantastic.
Puberty. It's elementary. Elementary school.
Picture this: A teenage boy hits on your daughter. You have to grab him by the collar and say, "whoa dude. She's nine."
If anyone needs me, I'll be out back rubbing my brain in the dirt.
Links to articles in the L.A. Times, N.Y. Times, and msnbc as well as a discussion fron Cornell University about the known effects of hormones and chemicals used in meat and milk.
The Ny Times article rejects outright the possibility of factors other than obesity while the msnbc article discusses it. The L.A. times article is the long but I think it's the best of the three. I'm not positive because half-way through I stopped to choke myself into unconsciousness.
This is not cool.
Additional links:
3 pieces from Pediatrics. One. Two. Three. The second one is nice because it discusses some of the other articles out there. There are a lot of them.
Your bearer of bad news,
Homemaker Man
This post brought to you by Fatherhood Friday at dad-blogs.com
Update
Vote today and for the next 5 days. They're in 2nd place. Need to stay there or climb to third to win 250,000 in grant money to cure jm.
Oh you are going to be such a protective Dad! lol
ReplyDeleteYeah, I've read about this. It's totally not cool.
ReplyDeleteI remember hearing that it was due to the artificial hormones in the meat we buy. Don't know if that's true, but when I have kids, we'll either be vegetarians or hunters.
ReplyDeletePuberty at seven? That is wrong, man, just wrong.
ReplyDeleteGood luck to the dudes who want to date your teenage daughter!
My niece is there. After I gouged my eyes out, flung myself onto a picket fence in the yard, and ate a 48 oz. bag of M&Ms, I died. Don't get me started on her sister, just 3 years older.
ReplyDeleteI'm the lunatic standing guard outside their home 24/7.
I just voted and JM is #1 at the moment. I must admit I also vote for Rett Syndrome, since my niece suffers from that, but #1 and #2 both get the money so let's cross our fingers.
ReplyDeleteI think I'm just going to crawl under a rock... and take my little girls with me. Not what I expected this morning. Thanks, Homemaker Man! I'll let you explain to my boss why I had to take a sick day today.
ReplyDeleteThis is why I'm already building that thirty-foot tall tower in our backyard. The one with no doors. Welcome to your new room, Daughter.
ReplyDeleteIsn't parenthood great? No shortage of things to worry about...
ReplyDeleteI have three daughters, 8, 5 and 3. After reading this post, I am now packing their bags for the convent I am shipping them to forthwith.
ReplyDeleteThank God I have boys. I've had 13 years to prepare for this. Unfortunately, I haven't prepared well enough. My kid turned 13 and BAM, the girls are calling, the scent of Old Spice deodorant is filling the air, and the attitude is in full force. I am not going to come out of this unscathed.
ReplyDeleteYikes. Makes dealing with a son seem so much easier.
ReplyDeleteWhoa! What an uplifting post...
ReplyDeleteI live in a gentrifying area of town and see this happening all around me. Not good.
ReplyDeleteLuckily, not in our household--we're rich and thin!