Early menarche in normal-weight girls and its association with excess weight, abdominal obesity and metabolic changes at the end of sexual maturation

Background/Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess whether early menarche in normal-weight girls is associated with excess weight, abdominal obesity and metabolic changes at the end of sexual maturation. Subjects/Methods: This is a cohort study of 255 normal-weight girls aged 10–18 years attending public schools in the city of Recife, Pernambuco, Northeast of Brazil. The following data were collected in 2007 and 2012: anthropometric; lifestyle, socioeconomic and demographic data; lipid profile; and self-assessed sexual maturation. Results: Eighty-four girls (32.9%) had early menarche. The socioeconomic level and time spent using a computer increased during this 5-year period, whereas the time spent watching television decreased. The prevalences of excess weight and abdominal obesity were 19.2% and 9.8%, respectively. The anthropometric and laboratory variables of girls with and without early menarche did not differ. Conclusions: These findings suggest that early menarche did not influence weight, abdominal obesity and serum lipids in the final stage of sexual maturation.