Weight and skinfold variation at menarche and the critical body weight hypothesis.

The weight and skinfolds of 36 longitudinally studied British girls were analysed to determine their variability from two years pre-menarche to two years post-menarche. If the critical body weight hypothesis of Frisch and Revelle (1970) is true, a reduction in the variability of these parameters would be expected at menarche compared to times before and after this event. No such reductions in variability were apparent.