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Review
. 2023 Jan 29;10(2):241.
doi: 10.3390/children10020241.

Links between Childhood Obesity, High-Fat Diet, and Central Precocious Puberty

Valeria Calcaterra  1   2 , Vittoria Carlotta Magenes  2 , Chiara Hruby  2 , Francesca Siccardo  2 , Alessandra Mari  2 , Erika Cordaro  2 , Valentina Fabiano  2   3 , Gianvincenzo Zuccotti  2   3
Affiliations
Review

Links between Childhood Obesity, High-Fat Diet, and Central Precocious Puberty

Valeria Calcaterra et al. Children (Basel). .

Abstract

In recent years, the existing relationship between excess overweight and central precocious puberty (CPP) has been reported, especially in girls. Different nutritional choices have been associated with different patterns of puberty. In particular, the involvement of altered biochemical and neuroendocrine pathways and a proinflammatory status has been described in connection with a high-fat diet (HFD). In this narrative review, we present an overview on the relationship between obesity and precocious pubertal development, focusing on the role of HFDs as a contributor to activating the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis. Although evidence is scarce and studies limited, especially in the paediatric field, the harm of HFDs on PP is a relevant problem that cannot be ignored. Increased knowledge about HFD effects will be useful in developing strategies preventing precocious puberty in children with obesity. Promoting HFD-avoiding behavior may be useful in preserving children's physiological development and protecting reproductive health. Controlling HFDs may represent a target for policy action to improve global health.

Keywords: central precocious puberty; childhood obesity; children; high-fat diet; pediatrics.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Link between obesity and the activation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal (HPG) axis. Peripheral signals deregulated in subjects with obesity, such as leptin, adiponectin, insulin, and ghrelin levels, are involved in the regulation of the HPG axis, influencing timing of puberty.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Mechanisms by which a high-fat diet promotes precocious puberty.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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