Puberty From 5 to 10 Common Now, Due to Chemical Exposure.

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Misty L. Trepke

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The Problem of Precocious Puberty

Early sexual development, or precocious puberty, is a growing

problem around the world; and while endocrine disruptors and

oestrogen mimics are implicated, the medical profession generally

regards this trend as perfectly normal.

http://www.nexusmagazine.com/articles/puberty.html

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Extracted from Nexus Magazine, Volume 11, Number 3 (April-May 2004)

PO Box 30, Mapleton Qld 4560 Australia. editor

Telephone: +61 (0)7 5442 9280; Fax: +61 (0)7 5442 9381

From our web page at: www.nexusmagazine.com

 

by Sherrill Sellman © 2004

GetWell International

PO Box 690416

Tulsa, OK 74169-0416, USA

Email: golight

Website: http://www.ssellman.com

 

 

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CHILDREN BECOMING TEENS BEFORE THEIR TIME

Julianne is a devoted mother to her beautiful and healthy-looking

five-year-old daughter. But all was not as it seemed: something

strange was stirring in Sarah's body. One night, while putting Sarah

to bed, Julianne pulled her pyjama top over her daughter's head when

Sarah suddenly exclaimed, " Ouch! That hurt when you touched my

nipple. " Julianne was totally surprised by her daughter's response.

Upon taking a closer look, she noticed that her nipples did appear

to be different from what she had remembered. In fact, they looked

bigger. Julianne immediately called her paediatrician to schedule

tests. The results confirmed that Sarah was going through puberty.

The small lumps were, in fact, breast buds. Sarah's breasts were

actually developing. But she was only five years old! How could this

possibly be? The doctor explained that Sarah had a condition

called " precocious puberty " . Julianne sat there in shock as the

specialist informed her that the medical community now considers

eight years of age to be the normal age for the beginning of puberty!

" While I always believed that little girls go through puberty at

around eleven, twelve or thirteen years of age, something very

strange was now happening to our daughters. I was now being told

that little girls are considered 'normal' if they start menstruating

at the delicate age of eight! " But there is certainly nothing normal

about an eight-year-old hormonally fast-forwarding into puberty.

 

THINKING THE UNTHINKABLE

It's hard enough trying to keep little girls as little girls these

days. The teeny-bopper fascination with such sex symbols as Britney

Spears has little girls trying to act much older than they are. If

bearing the belly button in sexy midriff tops isn't enough to cause

great consternation to parents, then the growing phenomenon of

budding breasts and pubic hair certainly does. Discovering that

their little girl has breast buds or pubic hair is a tragic shock to

parents. Early sexual development—precocious puberty—seems to be

happening everywhere. It's a common sight these days to see nine-

and ten-year-old girls with developing breasts playing in the school

playground. Something is seriously amiss. Presently, one girl out of

six eight-year-olds in the USA, Australia and Britain is racing into

puberty. In fact, it is a pattern emerging in young girls all over

the world. Reports of early puberty have come from many diverse

countries and climates including Canada, Europe, Asia and the

Caribbean. This compares with one in 100 a generation ago.

Precocious puberty is a phenomenon not only occurring in girls; boys

are also experiencing their version of precocious puberty. Research

published in the journal Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent

Medicine found that American boys appear to be beginning puberty

earlier than in past decades. A significant number of boys as young

as eight had signs of genital development some three years earlier

than previous estimates.1 In the UK, it is estimated that one in 14

eight-year-old British boys had pubic hair, in contrast to one in

150 boys of the previous generation.2 The onset of menstruation has

been steadily getting earlier and earlier in Western countries. It

wasn't very long ago when a teenage girl's first menstruation would

arrive between the ages of fourteen and sixteen. Today, the average

age of the first menstruation is under twelve years of age. For

many girls, however, it is happening much earlier. In Britain, 50

per cent of ten-year-old girls are now menstruating.

 

A groundbreaking study in 1997 of 17,000 girls sent shock waves

through the medical community. The study found that the initial

signs of puberty were occurring earlier than previously recorded.

The study found that 27 per cent of African-American and almost

seven per cent of Caucasian girls had the onset of secondary sexual

characteristics, i.e., either breast development or pubic hair

development by age seven. By the time girls turn eight years

old, one in seven white girls and one out of two Afro-American girls

will be starting puberty! Even more startling was the finding that

one per cent of Caucasian and three per cent of African-American

girls show these characteristic by three years of age!3

 

How common is this trend? " Young girls in the five- to ten- year-old

range with breasts and pubic hair—we encounter this every day in our

clinic, " says Michael Feemark, chief of paediatric endocrinology at

Duke University Medical Center in the USA.4 Similar findings were

also reported from a study of 14,000 children from Bristol

University's Institute of Child Health in the UK.5 The development

of secondary sexual characteristics in girls is a significant event,

signalling the onset of physiological and psychological

changes of profound importance. Many scientists and doctors are very

concerned. This is not only a worrying trend but a very serious

public health problem. Before they have outgrown doll's houses, many

young girls are being faced with the confusing mood swings, hormonal

changes and sexual attention that accompany physical maturation.

The ramifications for public health are dramatic. Studies have found

that girls who reach puberty earlier tend to have sex earlier, have

an increased risk of pregnancy, experience more psychological

stress, poor mental health, more behavioural problems, and are more

likely to drink, smoke, have a lower IQ and commit suicide. For

boys, it can mean more aggressive, violent behaviour, learning

disabilities and more drug and alcohol abuse. But the most

disturbing consequence of early puberty in females is the

well-established risk for pre- and post-menopausal breast cancer as

well as ovarian cancer. According to a study published in Nature

(1989), the risk associated with having an early menstruation—for

instance, one that takes place at the age of ten—is approximately

twice that associated with a menstruation occurring at the age of

sixteen.6 In addition, girls showing early signs of puberty have

increased risks of polycystic ovarian syndrome, menstrual

irregularities, acne, excessive facial hair and infertility.

Early puberty in males can increase their incidence of testicular

cancer, lower fertility and impaired growth leading to shorter

stature. A researcher into precocious puberty, Dr Marcia Herman-

Giddens, adjunct professor of maternal and child health at the

University of North Carolina, said, " It's probably not healthy,

since earlier studies have shown that the sooner a boy starts

puberty, the higher his risk is of developing testicular cancer,

just as early-maturing girls are at greater risk of developing

breast cancer " .7

 

 

THE SILENT INVASION

Since early puberty is a well-established risk for breast cancer, the

earlier a woman reaches puberty, the longer her breast tissues will

be exposed to potentially harmful agents (chemicals, radiation and

oestrogen).8 Even though a girl may begin menstruating, it is

unusual for her to be ovulating every month. Since ovulation is

necessary for the production of progesterone, early puberty is often

a condition that results in oestrogen production without the

protective effects of progesterone. This hormonal imbalance adds to

a girl's body-burden of oestrogen excess, putting her at increased

risk of oestrogen-dependent cancers and other hormonal problems.

It has been known for some time that the younger a woman is when she

starts her periods, the higher her risk of developing breast cancer

later in life. The younger a woman is, the longer her overall

exposure to high levels of oestrogens. Dr Carlos Sonnenschein of the

Tufts University School of Medicine warns that " …the length and

amount of exposure to oestrogen is one of the most significant risk

factors in breast carcinogenesis. Unless you are exposed to

oestrogens, you don't get breast cancer. The longer the exposure is,

the higher the incidence. Therefore, if you decrease the age of the

first menstruation, you are at higher risk " .9 The experts are

confused. It is absurd to think that early puberty is the result of

better nutrition, as many scientists assert. One connection is

that it seems to be linked with obesity. An increase in obesity in

children and lack of exercise has a direct relationship to this

problem. Since the 1960s, the number of overweight kids and

adolescents in the United States has nearly doubled. Today, 10 per

cent of two-to five-year-olds and more than 15 per cent of children

between the ages of six and nineteen are overweight.10 Childhood

obesity is also a major public health concern throughout the world

including in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Ireland, Germany, Italy

and Canada.11 One explanation looks at a protein called leptin that

encourages early breast development. Leptin is produced from fat

cells and is necessary for the progression of puberty. So, the more

fat cells, the more leptin is produced by the body. In addition,

overweight girls have more insulin circulating in their blood. High

levels of insulin stimulate the production of sex hormones such as

oestrogen, adding to an oestrogen excess. Is it just the fast foods

and sedentary lifestyle that are piling up the leptin-producing fat?

Perhaps not. A 20-year study found that the greater the prenatal

level of the hormone disruptor polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs), the

heavier the girls were at age fourteen and their puberty was

statistically earlier.12 Could prenatal exposure to hormone

disruptors play a role in obesity? A study based on this idea was

conducted by Dr Walter Rogan, an epidemiologist at the National

Institute of Environmental Heath Sciences. He chose 600 pregnant

women and measured the levels of chemicals in their bodies;

then, when their babies were born, the researchers measured the

chemicals in the mothers' breast milk, and finally, the children

were monitored as they grew into puberty. What was found was that

boys exposed to DDE and girls exposed to PCBs were heavier than

their unexposed peers were. The study also found that girls with

high prenatal PCB exposure tended to hit the first stages of

puberty a bit earlier.13 In fact, the most significant guilty party

is looking more and more like endocrine disruptors. Circulating

around the world are thousands of these endocrine-disrupting

chemicals which are now found everywhere—in our food, water and the

air we breathe.

 

Events occurring in Puerto Rico have helped unravel this puzzling

trend. For the past two decades, Puerto Rico has recorded the

highest known incidence of premature breast development. It was

discovered that girls as young as two years of age were developing

breasts. Several reasons have been cited for this situation. First

of all, most of these children were fed soy infant formulas. A 1997

Lancet study showed that soy has plant-based chemicals that

mimic oestrogen, displaying a wide range of hormonal activities. The

daily exposure in infants who consumed soy formulas was 6 to 11

times higher than in adults who consumed soy foods. In fact, the

blood concentrations of these hormones in the children were 13,000

to 22,000 times higher than oestrogen levels normally found in the

blood!14 Clues have also emerged, implicating endocrine disruptors.

In a significant study, the early breast development of the Puerto

Rican children was linked to exposure to phthalates, a ubiquitous

chemical plasticiser. The researchers measured the presence of

certain phthalates in the blood of 41 girls experiencing early

breast development and made comparisons with a control group. The

average age was 31 months. They found that 68 per cent of the

precocious puberty girls had high levels of phthalates in their

blood.15 Phthalates have infiltrated our world. They are in common

industrial chemicals that make plastics flexible without sacrificing

strength or durability. They are found in building materials, food

packaging and food wrap, toys and other children's products, medical

devices, garden hoses, shoe soles, automobile undercoating, wires

and cables, carpet backing, carpet tiles, vinyl tiles, swimming pool

liners, artificial leather, canvas tarpaulins, notebook covers, tool

handles, dishwasher baskets, flea collars, insect repellents, skin

emollients, hairsprays, nail polish and perfumes. John

Peterson " Pete " Myers, co-author of Our Stolen Future, agrees.

" Contamination in the womb can speed or retard sexual development, "

Myers said. " These compounds interfere with hormones that control

the pace and pattern of development. " 16 Chemicals that are suspected

of having effects on sexual development include bisphenol-A and

polybrominated biphenyls, chemicals found in plastic, and

phthalates, which are found in cosmetics.17 Hormone disruptors, like

silent saboteurs, have invaded the highly sensitive endocrine

systems of our children. Whether from toxins in the environment,

or hormone-laden meat and dairy products or chemical-laced foods and

household products, exposure to dangerous chemicals has reached a

level unprecedented in the entire history of human civilisation. Is

there any wonder why precocious puberty is a worldwide phenomenon?

The fact that early puberty is a known risk factor for breast cancer

should be of great concern to all parents, and all possible

precautions must be taken to safeguard children from unnecessary

exposure. No one really knows the long-term consequences of early

sexual development. This is an unprecedented experiment on our

children.

 

Hardly a minute goes by without our being exposed to some chemical.

It may be from car exhaust, room freshener, artificial fragrances, a

McDonald's hamburger and Coke, baby shampoo, dry cleaning, coloured

popcorn, furniture polish, the fire retardant on new school clothes,

plastic water bottles, dry cleaning, fly spry, and on and on it

goes. Beginning in utero, our children are accumulating chemicals in

their bodies little by little, day in and day out, for years and

years. For some children, the effects may become evident quickly;

for others, it may take many years or decades before the real

harm—the cancers, the multiple sensitivities, the behavioural

problems, the learning disabilities and the infertility—becomes

apparent.

 

HORMONES IN THE FOOD SUPPLY

Commercial beef and pasteurised dairy products consistently have the

highest levels of persistent hormone disruptors. As of 1995, the US

Food and Drug Administration allowed the use of implanted hormonal

agents for raising beef cattle. These include the female hormones

oestradiol and progesterone, the synthetic progesterone norgestomet,

the male hormone testosterone and the synthetic anabolic steroids

trenbolene and Zeranol. Growth agents that do not have to be

implanted include a progestin that can be added to the animals'

feed. Animals given these hormonal agents are not required to go

through a withdrawal period prior to slaughter. Indeed, the FDA does

not require mandatory recording of medication or treatment of

animals destined for our plates. Three natural hormones

(oestradiol-17ß, testosterone and progesterone) and two synthetic

substances (trenbolone and Zeranol) are also approved for use

in many other countries, including Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

Hormones in beef have serious oestrogenic and carcinogenic

effects—effects which the cancer establishment, the FDA and the

cattle industry have been well aware of for decades. Yet the real

dangers they pose, especially when it comes to women and breast

cancer, have remained in the shadows until only recently.18 (Non-

organic meats like pork, veal, lamb and poultry, although

uncontaminated by sex hormones, contain pesticides and a wide range

of veterinary drugs.)

 

Not surprisingly, a random survey in 1986 found that up to half of

all cattle sampled in feedlots in Kansas, Colorado, Texas, Nebraska

and Oklahoma had hormone pellets illegally implanted in muscle

tissue rather than under the ear. This practice led to higher

absorption of hormones from the implants and very much higher

residues that even the FDA admitted could have " adverse effects " .19

According to Dr Samuel Epstein, Professor of Occupational and

Environmental Medicine at the University of Illinois School of

Public Health: " Records of hormone levels in beef, obtained under

the Federal Freedom of Information Act from the FDA, show that even

when ranchers implant single hormone pellets beneath the ear skin

under ideal laboratory conditions, levels of oestradiol and other

hormones in meat and organs are more than triple the levels found in

non-implanted controls. Much higher levels, up to three-hundred-

fold, result from the common practice of illegal intramuscular

implants… " 20 Cattle today are receiving a lot more hormones than

ever before. In 1990, the FDA ruled in favour of doubling the dose

of hor mones allowed in cattle. As a result of this new ruling, some

feedlots now put implants in each ear for more bulk at a faster

rate. This is because feedlots are paid by weight for their

product.21 The FDA's reports in hormonal implants give us cause to

worry. In 1983, the FDA found that Synovex-S, a product containing

oestradiol and progestin, increased oestradiol concentrations in

cattle muscle by twelvefold, in liver by sixfold, in kidneys by

ninefold and in fat by twenty-three-fold. When cattle are

slaughtered following implantation, levels are even higher. With

multiple implants, they are higher still; with intramuscular

implants, yet even higher. Some hormones are fed to cattle in

feedlots.22 The extent to which hormonal meat contributes to

increased rates of breast cancer, apart from cancer of the uterus,

prostate and testes, has been virtually ignored. Hormonal beef may

also have another endocrine-disruptive side effect: early puberty.

It comes as no surprise that the European Union has banned the

importation of hormone-treated US beef. Americans, unfortunately,

are getting a pharmacopoeia of steroid drugs every time they chow

down a hamburger or hot dog. For children, eating hormone-laced meat

on a regular basis seriously increases their oestrogen exposure.

It should be obvious by now that organically raised meat is the only

safe meat to eat. Free of chemicals, sprayed feed, antibiotics and

hormone-injected growth stimulators, organic, grass-fed beef is by

far healthier and more nutritious than the commercial kind.

What about poultry and fish? With the use of growth promoters and

antibiotics in the poultry industry, organic chickens and turkeys

are, without doubt, the safer option.

 

Fish has always been considered a healthy alternative to meat.

Unfortunately, it is getting harder and harder to find clean fish,

either freshwater or ocean. Freshwater fish appear to be among the

most heavily contaminated of foods. Top predator fish, like pike and

walleye, are likely to be contaminated with heavy metals like

mercury—a hormone disruptor. Farmed salmon are raised on various

drugs, chemicals and hormones, and shellfish often concentrate

cadmium—another endocrine-disrupting heavy metal. (Diets high in

adequate calcium, protein, iron and zinc help protect against

cadmium absorption). The very best fish to eat are deep-sea

fish such as halibut, non–fish farm salmon, sardines, cod and

mackerel.

 

WHAT CAN BE DONE

With the red flags waving, you would think that the medical

profession would be leading the charge against contamination and

exposure to hormone-disrupting chemicals. After all, they are in the

trenches, daily witnessing the rising number of children with

precocious puberty. Surely they should be the ones jumping up and

down and yelling and screaming the loudest for something to be done.

It is therefore rather shocking that a report by a nationwide

network of physicians headquartered in California suggested that it

is perfectly normal for Caucasian girls as young as seven and black

girls as young as six to start developing breasts!23 Perfectly

normal? Instead of facing up to the implications of what is

contributing to this aberration and leading the charge for immediate

investigation into the causes and solutions, the medical community

prefers to ignore a looming tragedy. They have redefined what is

considered normal to reflect current trends. By claiming that

nothing is wrong, no fingers are pointed, no accusations are laid

and no one is held accountable. Industries and corporations

can merrily continue going about their business of contaminating and

polluting. Presently, the only treatment for precocious puberty

available from traditional medical doctors is the dangerous drug,

Lupron. According to the Physicians' Desk Reference, Lupron has 265

possible risks and side-effects, including cancer. Lupron can cause

severe problems such as tremors, seizures and memory loss.

The FDA has received a wide range of reports of serious side-effects,

including death, suspected to be associated with the use of Lupron.

However, the agency asserts that the drug's benefits outweigh the

risks, and does not believe there is sufficient proof to blame

Lupron. (For moreinformation, visit the National Lupron Victims

Network at the website http://www.lupronvictims.com/.)

 

There are ways to help children either slow the development of

precocious puberty or even possibly reverse this condition.

Holistic healing modalities such as traditional Chinese medicine

(TCM), naturopathy, homoeopathy, chiropractic and other holistic

medical approaches have been able to help children get their

hormonal health back on track, thus reducing some of the

physiological dysfunctions contributing to early development.

In addition to having a high body-burden of endocrine-disrupting

chemicals, children with precocious puberty tend to have compromised

digestive systems, candida from overuse of antibiotics, food

allergies, nutritional deficiencies, over-burdened livers and heavy

metal toxicity. The earlier this problem is identified, the greater

the success of reversing the signs of puberty. Unfortunately,

orthodox medicine has no answers nor solutions and can only address

the problem by prescribing powerful, toxic drugs that turn off the

endocrine system.

 

In addition, all external sources of hormones and hormone-mimicking

chemicals should be avoided. These include non-organic meat,

pasteurised dairy products, sugar and refined carbohydrates, junk

food, agricultural and industrial chemicals, and all commercial

household cleaning products and personal care products (suntan

lotion, shampoos, bubble baths, moisturisers, etc.). Our bodies, our

homes, our gardens and our schools should be made chemical-free

zones. Precocious puberty is a perilous experiment of 21st-century

living, making children teens before their time. However, with

vigilance, education and the commitment to making healthy changes,

our children's endocrine well-being and their future health can be

ensured. 8

 

GUIDELINES FOR REDUCING EXPOSURE TO OESTROGEN DISRUPTORS

1. Eliminate any pesticide, herbicide and insecticide use on lawns

and gardens. Even some commercial composts may be contaminated with

chemicals. Effective organic products are available, or learn to

make your own pest control formulas. Make your own organic compost.

2. Lobby in your community to stop the spraying of hormone-disrupting

chemicals in and around schools and city properties.

3. Make as much of your diet organic as possible. This will

eliminate the toxic, hormone-disrupting chemicals that are sprayed

on fruits and vegetables. Also, buy organic meat, poultry, dairy

foods and butter that are free of steroid hormones and antibiotics.

Organic foods have been found to contain higher amounts of vitamins

and minerals.24 Be aware that the following commercially grown

fruits and vegetables have been found by the Environmental Working

Group to contain the highest levels of pesticide contamination:

spinach, strawberries, apricots, cantaloupe, green beans, peaches,

bell peppers, celery, cucumbers, cherries and grapes.

 

Glutamine-rich foods help the liver remove environmental waste and

give protection against pollution: broccoli, cauliflower and other

cruciferous vegetables, asparagus, spinach, watermelon, pears,

squash and potatoes. Allylsulphide-containing foods like garlic,

shallots, onions and chives stimulate glutathione production. Miso,

fermented soybean paste and seaweed remove pollution and radiation

from the body.

4. Thoroughly wash non-organic fruits and vegetables with either a

fruit and vegetable wash available at health food stores, or soak

them in an apple cider vinegar and water bath.

A Clorox bath is most effective and inexpensive for removing

bacteria, parasites, pesticides and other contaminants from food.

Add a teaspoon of Clorox to one gallon (3.785 litres) of water. Soak

leafy vegetables and thin-skinned fruit (berries, plums, peaches,

etc.) for 15 minutes; root, thick-skinned or fibrous vegetables and

thick-skinned fruits (oranges, bananas, apples) and poultry, fish

and eggs for 20 minutes. Frozen meats (not ground meat) can be

thawed in a Clorox bath for about 20 minutes for up to five pounds

(2.267 kilograms) of frozen meat. Remove the foods from the Clorox

bath, place them in clear water for 10 minutes, and rinse. Dry all

foods thoroughly and store. Warning: use only Clorox, and no

other brand of bleach, since it does not contain any chlorine.

5. Use organic personal care products. Most deodorants, shampoos,

sunscreens, skin care, body care and baby products contain

carcinogenic or toxic chemicals. According to a US General

Accounting Office Report: " Cosmetics are being marketed in the

United States which may pose a serious hazard to the public. Over

2,983 chemicals used in cosmetics…and one-third (884) of these

ingredients have been reported as toxic substances… "

6. Don't let children chew on soft plastic toys. Phthalates are

added to soften PVC plastic toys. These plastic toys also retain any

pesticides sprayed in the house for up to two weeks. Buy unfinished

wood or natural fibre toys.

7. Avoid lice and scabies shampoos containing lindane and synthetic

pyrethroid. Lindane has been shown to promote tumour growth the same

way oestrogen did.

8. Teach your children to wash their hands frequently and not to

lick their fingers or bite their nails. Since chemicals inevitably

get deposited on surfaces, frequent cleaning with organic cleaning

products is a safe,preventive measure.

9. Whenever possible, avoid buying canned foods or foods wrapped in

plastic. Make sure you remove foods from packaging as soon as

possible. Use glassware for oven cooking. (Note that using microwave

ovens is not advised; however, if you must use one, make sure you

use only glass cookware.)

10. Carefully read the labels of foods, personal care products,

household cleaners, cosmetics, lawn and garden supplies and pet

supplies. Become familiar with the dangerous chemicals found in such

products and be willing to buy other, safe brands.

11. Install a water filter. Pesticides, other chemicals, rotting

leaves and other debris combine in drinking water. Heavy metals from

household pipes and plumbing can be an added concern.

12. Use plants for filtering chemicals from the air in your home.

Even chemicals emitted from new carpets or curtains can be filtered

by common household plants. For instance, Boston ferns can detoxify

1,000 micrograms of formaldehyde from the air in one hour.25

13. Get exercise. Sweating eliminates all kinds of chemicals that

would otherwise be eliminated through the body's other excretory

organs (the kidneys and bowel).

14. Avoid pet products such as flea collars and washes which contain

toxic substances which are dangerous to animals but also get

transferred to pet owners. 8

 

About the Author:

Dr Sherrill Sellman, ND, is the author of the best-selling books

Hormone Heresy: What Women MUST Know About Their Hormones (GetWell

International, 1996, 2001, 4th edition) and MOTHERS: Prevent Your

Daughters From Getting Breast Cancer, as well as an international

lecturer and women's health advocate. To to her free

monthly newsletter, go to http://www.ssellman.com.

Sherrill will facilitate a Women's Rejuvenation Retreat in Australia

in November 2004; call 1800 644 733 in Australia for details.

-----------------------------

 

Footnotes:

1. Herman-Giddens, Marcia E., Wang, Lily and Koch, Gary, " Secondary

Sexual Characteristics in Boys: Estimates From the National Health

and Nutrition Examination Survey III, 1988–1994 " , Arch Pediatr

Adolesc Med, Sep 2001;155:1022-1028

2. Golding, J., Pembrey, M. and Jones, R., " ALSPAC Study Team " ,

Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol 2001 Jan;15(1):74-87

3. Herman-Giddens, M.E., Slora, E.J., Wasserman, R.C., Bourdony,

C.J.,Bhapkar, M.V., Koch, G.G. and Hassemeir, C.H.

(1997), " Secondary sexual characteristics and menses in young girls

seen in office practice: a study from the Pediatric

Research Office Settings Network " , Pediatrics 99(4):505-512

4. Lemonick, M.D. (2000), " Teens Before Their Time " , Time Magazine,

October30, 2000,pp. 66-74

5. Golding, Pembrey and Jones, ibid.

6. Environmental News Network, http://www.enn.com/news/enn-

stories/2001

7. Herman-Giddens, Wang and Koch, ibid.

8. Bueckert, Dennis, " Hormone-treated Beef Thought To Trigger Puberty

Sooner " , Canadian Press, August 2, 1999, http://www.cp.org

9. Berkson, D. Lindsey, Hormone Deception, Contemporary Books,

Chicago,Illinois, p. 108

10. http://preventdisease.com/news/

articles/overweight_obese_growing_rate_us.shtml

11. Booth, M.L., Wake, M., Armstrong, T., Chey, T., Hesketh, K. and

Mathur,S., " The epidemiology of overweight and obesity among

Australian childrenand adolescents, 1995–97 " , Aust NZ J Public

Health 2001 Apr;25(2):162-9

12. Lemonick, ibid.

13. Lemonick, ibid.

14. Setchel, K.D., Zimmer-Nechemias, L., Cai, J. and Heubi, J.E.,

" Exposurein infants to phyto-oestrogens from soy-based infant

formula " , Lancet 1997 Jul; 350(9070):23-27

15. Colón, I., Caro, D., Bourdony, C. J. and Rosario, O. (2000),

" Identification of phthalate esters in the serum of young Puerto

Rican girlswith premature breast development " , Environmental Health

Perspectives108:895-900.

16. http://www.mindfully.org/Health/

Early-Onset-Puberty.htm

17. ibid.

18. Epstein, Dr Samuel, The Breast Cancer Prevention Program,

Macmillan, New

York, NY, 1997, p. 193

19. ibid., p. 194

20. ibid., p. 196

21. ibid., p. 194

22. Berkson, ibid., p. 209

23. http://www.caresfoundation.org/endosoc.html

24. " Organic food has more healthy compounds " , March 11, 2003,

http://www.planetark.com/

dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/20112/story.htm

25. http://www.bsu.edu/web/IEN/archives/

2000/090700.htm