There is yet another reason to help your daughter to maintain a healthy weight as she enters puberty: hyperandrogenemia. This condition is one in which there is an abnormally high amount of androgens, a type of steroid hormone - and girls who are obese as they enter puberty have an increased risk of developing it.

The authors of a recent study on obesity and hyperandrogenemia, reported in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, hope that their findings will help to increase awareness of the link between obesity and this hormonal disorder. Because androgens control the development of masculine characteristics, girls who have hyperandrogenemia may have irregular or delayed periods and excessive facial hair. They are also more likely to develop polycystic ovary syndrome later in life, which is a condition that affects fertility.

Labels: obese teens