How much height loss is normal? Have you ever really thought about this question? Indeed, why does height decrease with age? And how much of this loss of height with aging is normal? How much do You shrink as you age? In some cases, the cause of short stature is due to chromosomal disorders and Turner syndrome and a genetic defect in the bone for which there is no cure.
The average height at the end of growing age is 63.78 inches for women and 67.72 to 68.9 inches for men. The minimum height for men and women is 59.84 and 63.78 inches, respectively, and if it is lower than the stated standard, the person is considered short.
How much height loss is normal? Do you think there are ways to prevent height loss in adulthood and old age? In this article from humanhealthmag, we want to answer these questions. We are also going to address the issue of shrinking in adulthood and ways to prevent it.
Do People Get Shorter in Adulthood? How Much Height Loss Is Normal?
Increasing height in adulthood is far from reach and not much can be done in this field, but there are strategies that can be used to prevent the decrease in height associated with aging. After reaching the age of 40, due to reasons such as osteoporosis or compression of the spine, the height of a person shortens by about 0.5 to 1 inches every 10 years, which will be a significant reduction over time. If person shrink more than 0.5 to 1 inches every 10 years, a more serious health condition may be to blame.
How much height loss is normal? Strengthening the spine can help a person maintain proper posture and make him appear taller. These muscles help support the spine. When these muscles become too weak, the spine is not properly supported and may become compressed. This position can also lead to bending. Do you know what causes elderly to be bent over?
Factors Affecting Height Growth in Humans
Now that you understand how much height loss is normal? It is better to get acquainted with some of the factors that affect the growth of height in humans. People’s height is determined by a set of factors including genetics, gender, some medical conditions, nutrition and exercise. Genetics is the determining factor for most people’s height.
Do people shrink as they age? Twin studies show that heredity is the biggest factor in determining a person’s body type. Short or tall parents or one of them is definitely involved in the height of their child. Another factor that plays a role in determining people’s height is gender, and women generally have less capacity for height compared to men. Also, some medical conditions can also play a role in determining the height of people, among which the following can be mentioned:
- Gigantism (a disease caused by increased secretion of growth hormone in childhood, the most important feature of which is very tall height)
- dwarfism
- arthritis
- Untreated celiac disease (an autoimmune disorder of the small intestine)
- cancer
- Any condition that requires long-term use of steroids
- Down syndrome
- Turner syndrome (a genetic disease seen in women)
- Marfan syndrome (a type of congenital and genetic disease)
Nutrition also affects a person’s height potential. Having proper nutrition that contains sources of vitamins and minerals helps people grow. Conversely, people who do not have proper nutrition may not grow tall enough.
How much height is normal to lose as you age? Physical activity also plays a role in growth and height increase in childhood, so that being active stimulates the release of growth hormone. When this hormone is released, a child whose growth plates have not closed in their bones will have more growth compared to when they are not physically active. But when these plates close in the bones, the person usually does not grow taller. Most females reach their full adult height between the ages of 14 and 15, but boys reach this height at 16 and growth after 19 is unusual.
How Much Height Loss Is Normal? Tips to Deal with Shrinking in Adulthood
How much height loss is normal? Not only does standing and sitting in the right position make people look taller, but these postures help prevent headaches and backaches that are often associated with stooped walking. To stand in good posture, it is necessary to:
- Keep your shoulders back
- Pull the belly towards the spine and use the abdominal muscles for this
- Keep the head straight in line with the body
- Keep your feet shoulder-width apart
- Avoid bending your knees
- Let the arms hang naturally by the side of the body
To practice sitting well, you need:
- Place your feet on the floor while sitting
- Adjust the height of the chair so that the thighs are parallel to the floor and the feet are on the floor.
- Avoid crossing your legs
- Use a pillow or towel to keep your back in a comfortable position.
- Let the shoulders stay comfortable
- Maintaining a good sitting posture helps maintain proper space between the vertebrae and makes a tall person appear taller.
How Much Height Loss Is Normal? Is Shrinking Is a Sign of Osteoporosis?
How much height loss is normal? It is better to know that a shortening of 1.18 to 1.18 inches of people’s height is a sign of osteoporosis, and the occurrence of this disease has nothing to do with the aging process. Don’t be surprised! Osteoporosis is the most common metabolic bone disease and occurs when the body is unable to repair damaged bones. Suffering from osteoporosis is somewhat dependent on the amount of bone mass and density that is obtained in youth.
According to cross-sectional studies, about 46% of women over 50 and 28% of men over 50 have osteoporosis. It is better to know that this silent disease has no smell or symptoms. Unfortunately, there is a misconception in society that osteoporosis occurs in old age and does not require treatment. While this belief is not true and timely diagnosis and drug treatment can prevent the disease from progressing. Bone fractures, especially in the spine or pelvis, are the most serious complication of osteoporosis. Hip fractures are often caused by falls and can lead to disability and even an increased risk of death in the first year after the injury.
To prevent the occurrence of osteoporosis, consumption of dairy products and protein intake are very effective, and exercise can help in building strong bones and slowing down the process of bone destruction. Strength training helps strengthen the muscles and bones in the arms and spine.
How Much Height Loss Is Normal? What Foods Make You Shorter?
How much height loss is normal? After learning about average height loss and the factors affecting height growth or lack of growth, it is better to go to foods and foods that prevent height growth; Foods that affect height growth include:
All kinds of sweets
All kinds of sweets and sweet chocolates that are included in the category of sweets lead to the acceleration of obesity and overweight; It is interesting to know that excessive consumption of sweets and sugar causes the release of blocking hormones in the skeleton of the body and prevents or limits the growth of bones.
Fat
Consuming fatty foods adds a lot of extra calories to children’s bodies and causes them to gain weight; As mentioned earlier, obesity and overweight are one of the obstacles to height growth, and in addition, fiber and vitamin D may be lost in processed foods, and this has a great impact on calcium metabolism in the body.
Too much salt
Salt has many benefits for the body and plays an essential role, but consuming too much salt causes the excretion of calcium in the body, and the person faces calcium deficiency; When the amount of salt consumption increases, water accumulates strongly in the body and causes high blood pressure, for this reason, it is better for families to pay more attention when consuming salt. Remember that high blood pressure, in addition to many effects on cardiovascular diseases, also has negative effects on other parts of the body, such as the kidneys, and removes sodium and calcium from the body, which is why it prevents height growth in children.
Soft drink
Another food that prevents height growth is excessive consumption of soft drinks; Based on the research conducted on the cases in question, the evidence shows that excessive consumption of soft drinks prevents the absorption of calcium and has negative effects on height growth; Also, excessive consumption of soft drinks leads to osteoporosis, and this symptom is more visible among the elderly, for this reason, it is better to control the amount of soft drinks consumed by all ages.
Fast food
The evidence shows that the height growth of people in the current years has changed and is decreasing compared to several years ago; One of the reasons for the decrease in height growth of people compared to previous years is the excessive consumption of fast food and foods such as pizza, hamburger, fried chicken, etc. Fast food is prepared quickly due to the use of preservatives and as a processed food, which causes the loss of nutrients such as fiber, calcium and vitamin D and disrupts height growth; For this reason, it is better for respectable families to observe the balance in consuming fast food.
Medicine
Some children and babies are forced to take medicines that interfere with height growth due to certain diseases; Some drugs, such as Corticosteroids, are very harmful in the growing age and must be taken with a doctor’s prescription.
Eating too much meat
Many families give their children beef on a regular basis to increase their height, but remember that beef should not be consumed excessively due to its high protein content, as it can cause bone and joint diseases. Excessive consumption of beef causes a lot of damage to the body due to its high protein content; On the other hand, the calcium in beef is very low, and factors such as phosphorus, sulfur, and chlorine, which are acidic, lead to an increase in blood acidity and loss of calcium, which is very effective in height growth. It is better to use different foods such as eggs, vegetables, fruits, etc. instead of eating too much beef, because in addition to a balanced diet, they also bring balanced growth and health.
Concluding Remarks
In previous article from the humanhealthmag, we talked about how to decrease height by exercises? In tis article, we answered the question how much height loss is normal? As mentioned, many factors affect height growth, but people themselves can also influence height growth by following some points such as exercise, diet, adequate and appropriate sleep, and not consuming certain foods. Food consumption is very important from childhood to old age and has a great impact on height growth, that is why it is better to include various vitamins such as vitamin D, calcium, zinc and other nutrients in your daily diet.
People who engage in regular and continuous exercise and sports exercises help their height grow a lot due to the body’s need for more nutrients; Another great benefit of exercise in height growth is the release and production of growth hormones because when exercise is accompanied by deep and sufficient sleep, it increases the production of growth hormones.
FAQs
How much height loss is normal?
Height of a person shortens by about 0.5 to 1 inches every 10 years, which will be a significant reduction over time. If person shrink more than 0.5 to 1 inches every 10 years, a more serious health condition may be to blame.
What Is the Most Common Cause of Short Stature?
The most common cause of short stature is family and genetics, and even close relatives such as uncles, aunts, etc. are also effective in short stature. Malnutrition in childhood, chronic and recurring infections, diseases of the digestive system, hypothyroidism, delayed maturation, lack of growth hormone, chronic anemia, etc. are among the causes of short stature. In some cases, the cause of short stature is due to chromosomal disorders and Turner syndrome and a genetic defect in the bone for which there is no cure.