Your Body & General Health
Your body has been constantly changing since you were born. During
adolescence,
the changes your body undergoes will be more rapid and dramatic
than at any other time in your life. These changes can be scary,
but also exciting. Either way, it's best to understand what is
happening to your body so that you'll know what to expect.
Puberty
is the term used for the time when your body is changing from the
body of a child to the body of an adult. This process begins
earlier in girls than in boys, usually between ages 8 and 13, and
lasts 2 to 4 years.
In the early part of
puberty, your brain sends signals to your
ovaries (reproductive
organs in your lower abdomen) to begin producing a
hormone
called
estrogen. The estrogen you produce and some other brain
chemicals signal your body to start growing and changing into your
adult body.
Since you're going
through so many changes at once, you might find yourself
wondering, "what's normal?" So, let's take a better look at how
your body is developing and growing.
Things to remember while you're
growing:
-
Your
puberty timetable may be very different from that of your friends.
Even if you start changing right smack in the middle of the normal
age range for puberty, others may have already started or still
others will start changing after you.
-
It's normal
to feel a little awkward and insecure about your body at this
time. After all, you got pretty used to being in the body you had
and it's changing fast. Don't worry, you'll get used to the new
one too!
-
Your body's
physical growth doesn't happen alone. You are also going through
some very important emotional and mental changes as well. Don't be
surprised if you have some new feelings you haven't had before.
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