The main reason for early nutrition at the age of sexual maturity is that weight affects fertility

As parents, children nowadays are becoming increasingly precocious physiologically. A new study by the Max Planck Institute of Population Research in Germany shows that since at least the middle of the 18th century, the age of boys' sexual maturity has decreased by 2.5 months every 10 years on average.

The scientific community's research on human medical records has confirmed that girls are getting older at the age of menarche. However, there was no comparative data on the age of boys' sexual maturity. Goldstein indirectly filled this gap by studying the mortality curves of males in different age groups in five European countries.

The so-called peak of accidental death appears in the mortality curve of almost all male age groups of all ethnic groups at the specific stage of boys' puberty. The reason for this phenomenon is that when the hormone secretion of teenagers reaches the peak at this stage, the teenagers are reckless and the probability of accidental death is higher. The "peak period of accidental death" will reach its climax after the boy's voice changes and fertility in late adolescence. Using statistical data similar to the phenomenon of menarche in girls, researchers indirectly inferred the conclusion that boys' physiological maturity is getting earlier and earlier.

Goldstein believes that the main reason why men and women become sexual maturity earlier and earlier is the continuous improvement of human nutrition.

The result of the above phenomenon is that the time difference between young people who are physically mature but not yet mature in society is increasing. The Max Planck Institute of Population Studies pointed out that demographic studies have shown that over the past half century, people have been getting married and having children, starting their careers, and becoming increasingly independent of their parents financially. Young people are sexual maturity, but their life stage without children is getting longer and longer. The research institute did not provide a detailed analysis of the social impact of this trend, only pointing out one point: at least now, the period when people need to make important life decisions is getting further and further away from the period of juvenile recklessness.

Adolescent weight affects fertility

As is well known, adult obesity or underweight can easily lead to fertility problems, among which obesity increases the risk of pregnancy complications. However, surveys have shown that underweight or overweight adolescents have fewer children in adulthood than normal weight individuals.

Previously, researchers at the University of Helsinki in Finland collected data from approximately 1300 Finnish men and women (tracked and collected since 1980). At the beginning of the study, the participants were aged 3-18 years old, and the researchers mainly collected their body mass index (BMI) during adolescence.