Height is a trait often associated with beauty. Several wellness companies claim their products can make you taller and thereby "more attractive." However, it's important to remember that height is genetic. How tall or short you could be is pre-determined by the genes your parents pass down when you're born. If height is genetic, is it possible to increase it? Let's go through all the factors that play a role in determining your height.
The Genetics Of Height
The genetic makeup your parents pass down determines 80% of your height.
Since height is a polygenic trait (determined by multiple genes), it is difficult to predict precisely how tall or short a child will be.
Your lifestyle, environment, and nutrition play a role in determining the other 20%.
Hormone levels in the body (which genes can also influence) control height to an extent.
Is Height 100% Genetic?
Both genetics and environmental factors control height.
Researchers have identified more than 700 genes that directly or indirectly affect height.
Some of these genes affect cartilage in growth plates, which influences bone lengthening.
Many other genes and how they influence height remain unknown.
Some genetic disorders like Down or Marfan syndrome can cause extreme variations in height.
Besides genetics, nutrition plays a vital role in height.
Insufficient nutrition while growing can lead to stunted growth.
Is Height A Dominant Gene?
Height is a complex trait that is not regulated by one particular gene.
Several genes control it, and it also depends on environmental factors.
Scientists have found that height is under the control of the individual's DNA sequence variations that they have inherited.
However, which genes have an effect on height is only partially understood.
Some rare genetic variants, like FGFR3, cause achondroplasia, characterized by short stature.
Inheritance Of Height
Is Height Inherited From The Mother Or Father?
The genes determining height are inherited from both parents, not just the mother or the father.
The height of other family members and close relatives can also determine a child's height to an extent.
Can Two Short Parents Have Tall Children?
It is possible to have tall children if both parents are of short height.
Though a major player, genetics is not the only factor that affects height.
Nutrition and environment also play a vital role in determining the height of an individual.
The right diet and lifestyle path could promote height growth from a young age.
Genetically, it could be possible if either parent has taller family members.
Other Factors Influencing Height
Although genes mainly influence height, several other factors affect how tall you will be.
Nutrition, sex assigned at birth, access to healthy food, and certain diseases and medications all determine your height.
Nutrition
Getting adequate nutrition in the growing years is essential for the overall development of your body.
Nutrition is also essential during pregnancy to ensure the growth and development of the fetus.
A diet rich in whole foods will ensure you grow up to the adequate height your genes permit.
Foods rich in protein and calcium are essential for growth and bone health.
Protein deficiencies in children can lead to diseases like marasmus and kwashiorkor, characterized by stunted growth and short stature.
Some protein-rich foods include:
- Eggs
- Meat
- Seafood
- Nuts and seeds
- Legumes
Some calcium-rich foods include:
- Milk
- Cheese
- Yogurt
- Sardine
- Soybeans
- Oranges
- Kale
- Broccoli
Sex At Birth
Males tend to be taller than females due to the influence of testosterone, the male sex hormone.
Males typically have a later onset of puberty than females.
Females will experience a growth spurt after their first menstrual cycle, usually around 12 years of age.
Adolescent males, on the other hand, will typically experience a growth spurt once they hit puberty and continue to grow longer than females.
Delayed puberty can reduce estrogen and testosterone levels in the body, which can result in stunted growth.
Access To Food
People who don't have access to food can be of short stature.
Those who come from lower socioeconomic backgrounds can struggle to get adequate nutrition.
This environment around a growing child can lead to stunted growth and lower height.
Certain Disorders
Scientists have identified several genes that cause rare genetic disorders.
These genes can also have more extreme effects on the height of an individual.
Some examples are:
| Gene | Condition |
| FBN1 | Marfan syndrome, acromicric dysplasia |
| GH1 | Isolated growth hormone deficiency |
| EVC | Ellis van Creveld syndrome |
| GPC3 | Simpson-Golabi-Behmel syndrome |
Apart from this, conditions like acromegaly can have a more extreme effect on height.
In acromegaly, the adult pituitary gland produces excess growth hormone, which causes a generalized enlargement of the body.
Is It Possible To Increase Your Height?
Once you reach adulthood, it is practically impossible to increase your height further.
The genes that you inherited from your parents will determine how tall you will become in your lifetime.
However, nutrition and medical conditions also affect your height.
Correcting anomalies in these spheres of your life could affect your height.
Undersecretion of hormones like thyroid and growth hormones can cause stunted growth.
Undergoing hormone therapy might also potentially lead to an increase in your height.
However, these strategies will not have much effect once you reach adulthood.
Sometimes, incorrect posture and lack of exercise can make you look shorter than you are.
Working on your posture and incorporating exercise into your daily routine might increase your height (or how tall you appear).
Can I Grow Taller After 18?
A significant increase in your height is unlikely after 18 years of age.
The growth plates between your bones that are responsible for increasing your height fuse after 18.
Once they fuse, your bones will no longer increase in length.
FAQs About Height
Can Specific Genes Impact Height?
Multiple genes control height. This kind of inheritance is also called polygenic inheritance. However, some rare genetic mutations associated with genetic disorders can have extreme effects on your height.
Can Exercise Increase A Person's Height?
Exercise cannot increase your height once you are an adult. However, lack of exercise can make you slouch and look shorter. Working out keeps your body in good shape and makes you appear taller.
Can Stretching Make You Taller?
Stretching cannot make you taller.
However, it can improve your posture and flexibility.
If you have a habit of slouching, you might seem shorter than you are.
Stretching can correct your posture and make you seem taller without increasing your height.
Summary: Is Height Genetic?
- How tall or short you will be is determined by your genes.
- These genes influence the growth plates; the places in your bones are responsible for increasing in length.
- Your diet, lifestyle, and hormone secretion also determine your height.
- Suffering from certain diseases and conditions can lead to stunted growth.
- Most people will experience a growth spurt once they reach puberty.
- Males will continue growing taller longer than females.
- You cannot possibly increase your height after reaching adulthood.
- However, adequate nutrition, exercise, and posture correcting can make you look taller.
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References
https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/traits/height
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-much-of-human-height
