Tanner Stages of Adolescent Development for Girls

Chronologic age is not always the best way to assess adolescent growth because of individual variations in beginning and completing the growth sequence. A more useful way of describing pubertal development, and thus the varying needs for nutrients throughout adolescence, is to divide growth into stages of breast and pubic hair development in girls. These are termed the Tanner Stages of Adolescent Development. Nutritional requirements vary, depending on the stage of development.

From Mahan LK, Rees JM: Nutrition in adolescence, St Louis, 1984, Mosby.