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 ≥11 years, the percentage of obese boys with change of voice was significantly lower compared to age-matched normal-weight boys. In girls ≥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 ≥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.