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[–]MarkTwainiac 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

I don't think it's necessary for a female of this age to be on exogenous steroids for her appearance and physique to change in the ways shown in those pictures. Fact is, most female children of the age she is in these photos - 11 and 13 - are in the throes of puberty; as a result, they are being flooded with natural estrogen and progesterone, two very powerful endogenous steroid hormones - along with a small bit of testosterone.

Girls undergo their major pubertal growth spurt and surge in skeletal development and bone density at this age, which is why girls typically achieve their adult height around or by 14. Some girls achieve adult height earlier, some later than 14, but 14 is a good ballpark age. By contrast, boys undergo their major pubertal growth spurt and surge in skeletal and bone development several years later, which is why they don't usually achieve their adult height until they are 16 or older.

If a girl has or is predisposed to any endocrine condition that might cause her to pack on pounds and to appear more "masculine" than she looked previously, such as PCOS or insulin resistance, the condition usually will begin to rear its head once her ovaries reach maturation and she begins ovulating and menstruating - which in most cases occurs between 10 and 13. The average age for menarche, first menses, is 11-12. For many girls, the major part of puberty is long over by the time they turn 13.

[–]SanityIsGC[S] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Live and learn. Very illuminating.Thank you

[–]MarkTwainiac 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Glad to be of help. Live and learn is right! When you live a long time as I have, you pick up a fair bit of useful info along the way.