The Interaction of Obesity and Reproductive Function in Adolescents

Abstract

Obesity is increasing worldwide, including in pediatrics. Adequate nutrition is required for initiation of menses, and there is a clear secular trend toward earlier pubertal onset and menarche in females in countries around the globe. Similar findings of earlier pubertal start are suggested in males. However, as individuals and populations have crossed into over-nutritional states including overweight and obesity, the effect of excess weight on disrupting reproductive function has become apparent. Hypothalamic hypogonadism and polycystic ovary syndrome are two conditions where reproductive function appears to directly relate to excess weight. Clinical findings in individuals with certain polygenic and monogenic obesity syndromes, which also have reproductive disruptions, have helped elucidate neurologic pathways that are common to both. Clinical endocrinopathies such as hypothyroidism or panhypopituitarism also aide in the understanding of the role of the endocrine system in weight gain. Understanding the intersection of obesity and reproductive function may lead to future therapies which can treat both conditions.

Temporal trend of food consumption markers, breakfast consumption and association with overweight/obesity in schoolchildren aged 7 to 10 years between 2007 and 2019

“…One possible hypothesis for such a result is that the girls investigated have not yet reached the age of menarche, since we are evaluating the age group of 7 to 10 years and the mean age at menarche in our sample was 12.3 years in 2007 and 2012/2013 and 11.9 years in 2018/2019 (Matsuo et al., 2022). Thus, probably they had not experienced the impact of body fat accumulation that is expected after the menarche (Elliott et al., 2022). Another explanation might be that girls tend to consume more healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables than boys (Rasmussen et al., 2006), and therefore, they may have an adequate bodyweight compared to boys.…”

Beyond the Metabolic Syndrome: Non-Obvious Complications of Obesity in Children

“…Despite different observations on the onset of puberty in obese adolescents, some studies present that, apart from an advanced bone age potentially decreasing final height, persistent obesity may suppress the HPG axis thereafter [104,124].…”

“…Many research groups focus on the mechanisms underlying the influence of obesity on puberty [104][105][106][107][108][109][110][111][112]. The activation of the HPG axis is triggered by pulsatile GnRH secretion influenced by the activity of KnDY neurons (KNDY: kisspeptin, neurokinin B, and dynorphin) [106][107][108].…”

“…There are several studies that evaluate the effect of obesity on the start of puberty in males with controversial results; some studies from Europe and South America associate obesity with early puberty and from North America with a later development of puberty [119][120][121][122][123]. These differences could be due to the way pubertal staging was assessed [104].…”

Exploring the Health Benefits and Therapeutic Potential of Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) in Human Studies: A Comprehensive Review

“…Increased body mass index (BMI) is associated with various diseases, including pulmonary, gastrointestinal, liver, cardiovascular, diabetes mellitus and insulin resistance, metabolic, and renal diseases [39][40][41][42][43]. Asgary et al found a significant reduction in the BMI among 20 patients receiving 500 mg/day HSE powder where a BMI at baseline and at four weeks was 27.51 vs 27.27 kg/m 2 in the experimental group, yet no statistical significance noted among the placebo and experimental group [23].…”