The result is that in sixth, seventh, and eighth grades, girls usually are much taller than boys. The boys catch up in the ninth and tenth grades. Girls' periods usually begin in mid-late puberty after they have had their growth spurt. So when a girl has her first period menarche she only has 1 or 2 inches of growth left. In most girls, regular ovulation occurs 3 or 4 years after menarche.
Boys grow taller before their bodies devote much effort to building muscles.
Girls do not lose body fat during puberty they just shift it around. In a child the fat tends to accumulate around the waist, but as she matures, it shifts to the breasts, hips, and thighs. Boys, on the other hand, do lose fat during their growth spurts. If they get fatter after they ve finished growing, it s because they didn t decrease their food intake after they were finished growing. As you can see, this whole process of puberty is really fascinating.