Puberty normally starts between ages 9 and 16; girls may not notice any physical changes until 11 to 16 years of age. Today, however, some girls are starting to see changes as early as age 6 or 7.

A research team backed by the Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Centers (BCERC) originally set out to more clearly categorize girls into pubertal maturity stages. What they found was that among roughly 1,200 girls aged 6-8, many showed early breast and pubic hair development.

Ten percent of white girls at age 7 had “breast development to some extreme”, as did 23 percent of black and 15 percent of Hispanic girls. These numbers jumped to 18, 43 and 31 percent for 8-year-old participants. Authors agreed that these rates were much higher than 10 and 30 years ago.

Possible explanations include increased exposure to hormones, such as estrogen. Another hypothesis is that environmental pollutants such as BPAs and parabens may be pushing young girls into puberty. Genetic mutations, endocrine disorders and other health concerns are also on the list, but researcher Dr. Abby Hollander of Washington University’s School of Medicine says we can expect to wait for any real answers.

Hollander and colleagues plan to further investigate ways the environment may affect the onset of puberty. Until then, read more from ABC News or see the study’s abstract in Pediatrics.

More women than men experience an increase in this type of fat, especially in the time following menopause. It is often responsible for the change in a woman’s body to an apple shape. In men, it may manifest itself as a “beer belly.”

Sometimes referred to as abdominal obesity, this fat is more dangerous than the subcutaneous fat that lies just under the skin. Fat cells produce hormones, including ones that can cause insulin resistance and type-2 diabetes. Visceral fat is also thought to increase the risk of heart disease, metabolic problems, and high blood pressure. It has also been linked to breast cancer.

It is quite possible for a person with a healthy weight and relatively trim waistline to have significant amounts of visceral fat. It can be hard to see because of where it lies; in some cases it can only be detected with an MRI.

According to the Mayo Clinic, lack of exercise and low metabolism isn’t necessarily the culprit. The problem, they say, may be genetics. If your family has a history of gaining weight around the middle, it may be a challenge for you, too. In women, hormonal changes during menopause also may cause a change in how fat is broken down and stored.

Rather than calculating your BMI, Mayo Clinic suggests simply measuring your waistline. A waist measurement of 35 inches or more, the clinic says, indicates an unhealthy concentration of abdominal fat.

One of the best things you can do for your body is exercise regularly, and, luckily, visceral fat responds well to working out. Daily moderate exercise along with strength training may be your best bet to battling the bulge.

Seventeen children ages 5 to 18 in a hospital setting participated in the research project, each spending 33 nights using the artificial pancreas (closed-loop infusion) and 21 nights using traditional treatment (continuous infusion).

Researchers from Cambridge University have been developing the system for years, and they couldn’t be happier with the results. The system proved more effective than traditional insulin pumps at regulating glucose.

"These devices could transform the management of type 1 diabetes, but it is likely to be a gradual process," research leader Roman Hovorka of Cambridge said in a telephone interview with Reuters.

Rather than taking injections at every meal, the system checks glucose levels every 15 minutes and delivers insulin accordingly. It was especially effective in regulating nighttime hypoglycemia, maintaining normal levels 60 percent of the time, compared to 40 percent with the pump alone.

Nighttime hypoglycemia occurs when blood glucose falls below normal levels. It is often the result of changes in insulin metabolism (i.e., due to exercise), and can be difficult to balance for people with type 1diabetes.

Hovorka says these studies will help people maintain good control and improve quality of life for people with type 1 diabetes by reducing the risk of hypoglycemia.

"These results suggest that closed-loop devices may be able to significantly lower the patient's risk of developing complications later in life by reducing or even overcoming the burden of hypoglycemia," Hovorka said in a news release from The Lancet.

Test your knowledge on dining out with diabetes or read the study’s abstract in The Lancet.

Hypothyroidism? Hyperthyroidism? January is Thyroid Awareness Month and Healia would like to help you understand the difference between the two most common thyroid problems– hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism.

The most common thyroid problems involve abnormal production of thyroid hormones. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland is not active enough. This condition is far more common than hyperthyroidism and can make you gain weight, feel fatigued, and have difficulty dealing with cold temperatures.

If your thyroid is too active, it makes more thyroid hormones than your body needs. This condition is called hyperthyroidism. Too much thyroid hormone can make you lose weight, speed up your heart rate, and make you very sensitive to heat.