Height growth: Guide to separating fact from fiction

The fallacy of considering ‘being tall’ as a virtue, equivalent to having a great personality, is seen almost across cultures. Parents in particular fall prey to ‘height growth’ programmes, meals, drinks, exercises and assorted scams.

The science

1. Human height is determined by genetics. If your parents are short, there is no way that you will be tall unless there is a severe genetic mutation.

2. Genetics predetermine hormonal changes in the human body. Changes in mainly the sex hormones determine how soon or late in the body’s chronology the epiphyseal plates will seal — human bones continue growing till these plates seal. This is why girls have a height spurt sooner than boys, but boys continue to grow taller over a longer period of time.

3. Once the epiphyseal plates have sealed, nothing can make the bones grow in length — except an extreme surgery that creates a surgical fracture and keeps extending the limb bones.

4. Even before the epiphyseal plates have sealed, the human bones will grow up to their genetic potential which occurs naturally given the proper nutrition.
The myths

Cycling, swimming, playing basketball, stretching, hanging from bars, etc will not help you grow taller. This foolhardy notion develops because people see tall basketball players and swimmers, but don’t understand that they are at the top of their sport because they are tall — playing that sport didn’t make them tall.

Similarly, a popular myth is that lifting weights stunts height growth. It is popular because most body builders look short due to their broad musculature, or people who lift heavy weights are generally short because shorter limbs allow them to lift heavier and therefore get stronger.

NOTE: Next time you read an ad for any ‘height growth’ formula or programme — pay attention to the legal loophole placed by the small asterisk below the ad stating ‘grow your height to your genetic potential only’. Which basically means that you will grow to that height anyway, so all you are doing is wasting your money.

Eat well, have a lot of protein, exercise regularly, play a sport, lift weights, and most importantly, remember that a great overall personality outshines a tall body any day.

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