BEING fat as a child could put women at risk of an early menopause, researchers claim.

Scientists found girls who had their first period aged 11 or younger were 80 per cent more likely to go through “the change” in their 30s.

2 Girls who are obese when they are children are more likely to experience menopause early Credit: Getty Images

And they warned childhood obesity is one of the main triggers of early puberty.

Experts also found these women are at an even greater risk of premature menopause if they delay having kids.

They are five times more likely to become infertile in their 30s than women who have later periods and at least two children.

The findings come from one of the biggest ever studies into puberty and the menopause.

It tracked over 50,000 women aged 55 or over from the UK, Scandinavia, Australia and Japan.

The results, in the journal Human Reproduction, showed girls who hit puberty under 11 faced nearly double the risk of menopause at a young age.

Researchers said childhood obesity is one of the biggest factors behind periods starting early.

Britain’s obesity epidemic in youngsters as recently described as a “state of emergency” with one in three too fat when leaving primary school.

2 Experts also found these women are at an even greater risk of premature menopause if they delay having kids Credit: Getty Images