By the time you reach adulthood, you’re unlikely to grow any taller without medical intervention. The body experiences the most growth and development during childhood and adolescence. Once puberty is over, in most cases final adult height is achieved. Females normally stop experiencing height increases at the end of puberty, whereas males take a little longer to stop growing. Males normally reach their adult height around the ages of 18 to 23 years old.

The desire to grow taller is real, especially for individuals who consider themselves short. It starts during childhood and never really goes away for some. Instead, not being tall often results in lost or missed financial, professional, and personal opportunities. If you consider yourself short and are in search of height increase solutions that actually work, it is extremely beneficial for you to understand the reasons for short height.

How Vertical Growth Occurs

It's a common belief that height is solely determined by the family one is born into. Genetics does play a big role in one’s final height, but it’s not the only one. Other factors that contribute to adult height include overall health, nutrition, and quality of life, especially during childhood. Consider the following information about the most common reasons some people remain short and solutions to help.

Genetics

Short people who are born to short parents tend to remain short all throughout their lives. Bear in mind that being born to short parents doesn’t mean shortness is automatic, it’s just more likely. There are plenty of people who end up taller than their parents and who have siblings of varying heights. Differing sibling heights are also partially due to heredity factors too. It is very common for people with tall parents to end up short. There’s no magic wand or special pills that can magically alter human DNA to trigger the tallness gene. Though there are special shoes and cushions one can use to make themselves look taller, they only create the illusion.

Nutrition

Diet impacts height. Many people think they can eat to grow taller or rely on nutritional supplements. Though a good diet and supplements can be beneficial, they are not very effective when it comes to growing taller during adulthood. Improper eating habits and poor nutrition compromise the body’s ability to function, grow and repair itself. In order for anyone to reach their optimal adult height, barring other issues, they must maintain good nutrition and health all throughout their life.

Childhood Development

Infancy and childhood are when vertical growth is at its highest. The rate of growth gradually slows down before it speeds back up during puberty and finally stops at the onset of adulthood. The reason for this is the bones in babies and children are soft and still developing. Their bodies are designed to accommodate changes in physical development. Their bones also contain premature growth plates that mature with age. As growth occurs, the bones become harder, and the growth plates start to fuse and become incapable of adding length. Instead of growing taller, the closer one gets to their senior years, the more their body starts to shrink and lose height.

Health

Believe it or not, health and illness have an effect on growth and height. Childhood illnesses can temporarily halt growth. There are certain conditions that can impede growth permanently. For example, health and nutrition go hand in hand and can alter one’s true height trajectory. Children who lack proper nutrition or suffer from medical conditions that affect the way their bodies process foods and nutrients tend to have poor growth and development. The same is not necessarily true for most adults, however. There are also many medical conditions and genetic disorders that either impair different physiological responses or functions that prevent individuals affected from reaching their height potential.

Grown people who fail to be mindful of what they consume can develop nutritional deficiencies and other medical problems that alter the way their bodies function without much impact on their final height. But, maintaining a poor diet for too long can lead to issues that impact the muscles, bones, and joints, which can lead to spinal conditions and a shorter stature from shrinking and health issues.

Hormones

Some medical conditions and nutritional deficiencies are caused by hormonal imbalances that can develop at birth, during childhood, or any time after the age of 18. Deficiencies are a common cause of growth restrictions and developmental problems during childhood. For adults, hormonal imbalances don’t necessarily affect one’s height, but they do influence the growth and development of muscles and bones.

Living Environment

Environmental stress impacts all living things, especially humans. When it comes to height, children tend to be more susceptible to the effects of living in less-than-optimal living conditions than adults. As a result, children who are born into and grow up in households with poor nutrition, high levels of stress and less than ideal economic resources tend to remain short. Their bodies adapt to using fewer calories to function and being unhealthy, causing them to exist in a malnourished state. Their bodies are unable to grow and reach their height potential because of the ongoing stress and negative impact of their living conditions. These effects are hard to reverse without intervention, early on.

Unlock Your Height Potential at Height Lengthening

Being short is not a bad thing, but it can make life more difficult for some people. Anyone who is unhappy with their current stature should discuss their concerns with a height increase specialist. To learn how you may benefit from height increase surgery, contact The Height Lengthening Institute at (818) 698-2752 to schedule a consultation.