Girls in Lithuania are reaching puberty earlier due to social and political factors

Anthropologist Janina Tutkuvienė from the Faculty of Medicine at Vilnius University explains how social, cultural, and political conditions influence human growth and health. She notes that these environmental factors can shape the bodies of children even before they are born, as the human organism remembers past experiences and stresses through epigenetic mechanisms.

Tutkuvienė observes that girls in Lithuania have reached puberty earlier since 2010.

She states that the average age of puberty has shifted forward by about one year over the last 15 years. This rapid change suggests that the body reacts to modern stresses, including the constant flow of information and the digital space, by trying to mature faster to face a perceived difficult world. The researcher links early puberty in girls to a higher risk of metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases later in life.

She describes the body as a mirror that absorbs and reflects current and past conditions. Tutkuvienė points to historical examples, such as the 1944 to 1945 famine in the Netherlands, where prenatal hunger led to long-term health issues in the survivors. She also notes that the average weight of newborns in Lithuania decreased during the 2008 global financial crisis. Tutkuvienė emphasizes that while biological aging can be studied through DNA and telomeres, maintaining quality of life is essential.

She argues that having a life goal serves as a primary engine for the body, helping people remain active and healthy. She believes that while humans may eventually face biological aging, a sense of purpose helps keep the organism moving in a positive direction.