1. Jane M. Rees, MS, RD Lecturer, Public Health & Pediatrics Maternal Child Health Program University of Washington Seattle, WA. U.S.A. Supported by Food of the modern world: Does it affect the age of puberty?

2. From the Cover of Time Magazine, (Oct. 30, 2000) “Early Puberty Why Girls are Growing Up Faster” “Is it hormones? Is it fat? Is it something in the water? How parents and kids are coping”

3. “The Making of an 8-Year-Old Woman” “How do we understand early puberty? ……through the prism of our time.” From an article in the New York Times Magazine (Dec. 24, 2000)

4. From the New York Times Article: “Two Endocrinology Groups Raise Doubt on Earlier Onset of Girls’ Puberty” ( March 3, 2001) Letter to the editor: “Early Puberty in Girls” (February 24, 2001)

5. New clinical study % Stage 2 or more 7.00 - 7.99 years African-American European-American Breast buds 15.4% 5.0% Pubic hair 17.7% 2.8% Herman - Giddens et al: Pediatrics 1997

6. Initial signs of puberty (female) African-American European-American Previous8 years8 years New 6 years7 years Kaplowitz et al: Pediatrics 1999

7. Recent history of menarche 180017.0 years 200012.5 years Tanner, J: Harvard U. Press, 1978 Adair & Gordon-Larsen: A. J. Pub. Hlth., 2001

8. Studies show Body Weight - Menarche Heavy - Early Light - Later

9. Population based study: % overweight Menarche  11 a11-13 a  14 a European American 36.4%22.4%22.3% African American 57.5%36.4%37.5% Adair & Gordon-Larsen: A. J. Pub. Hlth. 2001

10. Foods Pollutants Phytoestrogens Social ?

11. Time Line 200,000,000 y 100,000 y 65,000,000 yToday 10,000 y Agriculture Angiosperm & First Mammals 130 y Infant Formula Extinction of Dinosaurs Homo Sapiens Mammals flourished

12. Directional selection - corn Source: http://entmuseum9.ucr.edu/ent010jm/Evol.html

13. Storage/Supply Energy Reproduction

14. Frequency distribution of menarcheal age and age at conception of a sample of African- American adolescents ( n=574) Rees JM, 2001 (unpublished)

15. Fatness

16. Accessibility

17. Treats

18. A Book Reference Title: The Botany of Desire: A plant’s view of the world by Michael Pollen Publisher: Random House Books, 2001

19. Exchange of energy linked in brain From: Worthington, BS, Vermeersch, J, and Williams, SR: Nutrition pregnancy and lactation. St Louis, CV Mosby, 1977. p 139.

20. Feeding not linked to mother

21. Intake not linked to output

22. Rich food & Excercise Size Advanced puberty

23. Masculine puberty Has it changed?

24. Equivalent distance line 1 Km 5 m 325 m Today 50 cm Agriculture Angiosperm & First Mammals 5 mm Infant Formula Extinction of Dinosaurs Homo Sapiens Mammals flourished

25. Will clarify the influence of modern foods on the age of menarche Future research

26. Change in foods has been dramatic The evidence