Researchers have found that the number of fat cells in your body is set during adolescence and remains constant through adulthood, regardless of whether you gain or lose weight. The findings may help to explain why it can be so hard for some people to drop pounds and keep them off.
Both males and females experience hormonal changes before the 1st physical signs of puberty are manifested. As sex hormones increase, changes in the body's proportion of lean, fat, and skeletal mass occur. For females an increase in body fat begins at 7 years and continues through ages 16-18 years.
Puberty Weight Gain and Growth
When girls get taller, they tend to lose that belly fat and may thin out over time. During this time, you will notice body weight redistribution and the addition of fat tissue–to the rear, hips, breasts, backs of arms, and thighs.
As you go through puberty, you'll get taller, your hips will get wider, and your waist will get smaller. Your body also begins to build up fat in your belly, bottom, and legs. This is normal and gives your body the curvier shape of a woman.
Lean body mass in girls diminishes from approximately 80 percent to 75 percent by the end of puberty, while the amount of body fat increases. In comparison, the percentage of lean muscle mass in boys increases from about 80 percent to 90 percent by the time they reach adulthood.
Girls - As you go through puberty, you'll get taller, your hips will get wider, and your waist will get smaller. Your body will begin to build up some fat in your belly, bottom, and thighs. This is normal, and gives your body the curvier shape of an adult woman.
A final growth spurt begins at the start of puberty, sometime between ages 9 to 15 depending on heredity and gender. Noticeable weight gain may occur prior to a growth spurt as excess fat helps promote growth. As a child goes through puberty, their stores of body fat may change.
Body shape – Another sign of puberty in girls is changing body shape, particularly extra fat in the belly area (some call it “baby fat”). Weight gain can cause anxiety for girls.
Many girls go through a chubby phase at 13 only because their bodies have stopped using so many calories for vertical growth, but their food intake hasn't changed. By adopting healthy habits now, your next growth spurt can leave you with a lean, athletic shape and a brand new lifestyle that will keep it that way.
A larger growth spurt is associated with a larger increase in body weight. Additionally, excess fat helps promote growth.
Girls who have high leptin levels -- because they are overweight -- could be more prone to early puberty. Biological changes in young babies could have a lasting effect, too. Studies have indicated that rapid weight gain during infancy might be related to later obesity and a higher risk of early puberty.
As you can see, weight is expected to continue to go up and up until around 18-20 years, when it begins to plateau. Until that 18-20 year mark, it is normal to see 5-7 kg (11-15 lbs) of weight gain each and every year. Adolescents should not weigh less than they did the day before.
It is usually easier to lose weight as a teenager than as an adult due in part to metabolic differences. It is beneficial to achieve and maintain a healthy weight as a teen and carry it forward into adulthood.
A 14-year-old with stomach fat needs to start exercising and eat healthily. A teen with a muffin top may be especially self-conscious about her appearance. Extra belly fat also puts a young 14-year-old at risk to develop risk factors for adult conditions such as Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
But if they do need to slim down, experts say teens shouldn't drop more than 2 pounds a week. Talk with your child to get their buy-in. They have to be on board and involved with any plan to lose weight.
Lifestyle issues — too little activity and too many calories from food and drinks — are the main contributors to childhood obesity. But genetic and hormonal factors might play a role as well.
During Puberty Girls Grow Fast and Early
Unlike boys, their fastest rate of growth occurs early in puberty. They also gain more fat than boys in preparation for their menstrual cycle. They go from gaining about 5 pounds a year before puberty, to 12-23 pounds during puberty as shown below.
In some children, weight spurts happen before height spurts. Other children just gain more weight than they need for their height. This is how children become overweight. Parents, family members, and friends can all help a child who is at risk of or has become overweight.
Although the prevalence of obesity increases with age, weight gain is actually greatest across the younger years of adult life — late twenties and thirties — and diminishes gradually over time as adults get older, says Tucker.
You'll probably gain weight in puberty -- most girls do. You may notice more body fat along the upper arms, thighs, and upper back. Your hips will grow rounder and wider; your waist will become narrower. Your doctor will check your height and weight each year to make sure you are growing properly.
Puberty usually starts when you're between 9 and 13 years old. But it can start earlier or later. Thanks to hormones like estrogen, you'll notice changes like your breasts starting to grow and new curves forming on your body. You might notice that you start to get taller, and eventually you'll get your period.