Genes from the parents decide how tall you will become. Although it is not the only factor contributing to your height, it certainly is the most prominent factor which decides your height.
For short parents, it is obvious to ask questions like- can their child grow taller than them? Is it possible for their child to grow taller than their genetic height?
The answer to both of the questions is yes. Some parents are short, but they might have tall genes which might not appear in them. If these genes pass to their children, it can result in a taller child than their parents. Besides that, proper nutrition, healthy food, gender, and hormonal changes impact the height of a child in their growing age.
This article will discuss whether short parents can have a tall child or not. We will also try to understand what you can do to make your child achieve maximum genetic height.
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Does genetics affect the height of your child?
It is believed that genetics accounts for 60-80% of your height. This is why shorter parents wonder if their short genes affect their child’s height. It is indeed an obvious question. However, genes are not the only factor affecting height. Other factors such as environmental factors, nutrition, exercise, hormonal changes also contribute to 20-40% in your height.
As a general rule, a child’s height could be predicted as an average of the parent’s height. As mentioned earlier, genes are not always responsible for deciding the height of a person. In some cases, a child might get a much taller stature than both of the parent and relatives. This tall stature is called a recessive trait, which might get activated in children.
Recessive traits are passed from any or both of the parents. Some examples of such passing of recessive traits can be seen in your surroundings too. For example, many NBA players have shorter parents, but they still have a taller stature.
Height genetics from mother or father
Study suggests that the child’s height is mainly decided by the genes coming from the father. On the other hand, the mother tends to influence the tidal body fat of the child. Researchers at Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital say that taller dads tend to have taller children. However, it should be noted that environmental factors along with genetics impact a child’s growth.
Research midwife Dr. Beatrice Knight says that the early period of a child in the womb and the first few years after birth influence the child’s overall growth. It is very important to give your child proper nutrition in their growing years to achieve the maximum genetic height of their genes.
Can you be tall if your parents are short?
Our height is determined by the genes coming from mother and father. There is no way you can increase your height beyond your maximum genetic height. However, some external factors such as nutritional intake or any medical condition may disturb the process, and you might not be able to grow taller even after having tall genes. In general, children often grow at least or a bit taller than their parents.
For a taller stature, it is also very important to take proper nutrition throughout your growing years. Once you reach adulthood, it is not possible to grow taller by any supplement. Poor posture and lack of exercise also impact how tall you look. With regular exercise and a proper diet, you can help yourself unlock your maximum genetic height.
Is it possible to be taller than your parents?
Yes, it is possible to grow taller than your parents. The genetic factors are unpredictable, and you can not control them. But other factors can easily be a triumph to get a taller stature even if your parents are of short height.
How tall you will become is mostly decided by the genes of your family. If your relatives are taller, then there is a good chance that you might get the taller genes from your parents too. However, you can not predict if those genes get activated or not.
Usually, medical professionals use a rule that if your parents are short, it is very likely for you to attend the average height of your parents. The same goes for tall parents too.
Various research suggests that girls generally stop growing taller after they hit puberty. In comparison, boys continue to grow for a few more years after puberty. This makes boys a bit taller than girls.
You can unlock the maximum genetic height by following a good nutritional diet, exercise, and sleeping plenty in your growing years. We will discuss these environmental factors in the next section of the article.
How to grow taller than your parents?
It is clear that genetic factors are not in our control, but other environmental factors are. Not all short parents have short children. There are many examples where short parents do have much taller children. By taking proper care of nutrition, exercise, and sleep, you can become taller than your parents. Below are some factors that determine your height apart from the genetic factors.
Balanced Diet
A balanced diet is key for your overall health, including a tall stature. During your growing years, it is important to take care of your nutrition intake. Avoid sugar, trans fat, and other unhealthy fat while including more fruits, vegetables, protein, and dairy items in your diet.
One of the common reasons which affect your height in older age is low bone density. It is important to take proper calcium intake to help maintain healthy bone density. Vitamin D is also very crucial for healthy bones. Make sure you are not vitamin D deficient. Sun is the largest natural source of vitamin D. You can also include egg yolks, fortified milk, or tuna fish to fulfill vitamin D requirements.
Sleep
Taking less sleep could have an adverse effect on your height. Study shows there is a deep relation between healthy sleep and height. Occasionally skipping a few hours of sleep does not cause any harm. But in the long run, if you’re deprived of proper sleep, it could impact your height.
Our body releases human growth hormone while we sleep. This hormone is responsible for taller stature. Make sure you take a minimum of 7-8 hours of sleep if you are an adult, whereas children under the age of 18 should take at least 11-12 hours of sound sleep.
Related Article: Does Sleep Affect Height?
Posture
If you are not carrying proper posture, you may look shorter than your actual height. It is important to stand, sit and sleep in the right posture. If you regularly slump or slouch, then the chances are that your back has adopted a little curve shape, making your height shorter than what it is.
Exercise and yoga
Regular exercise and yoga are beneficial in correcting your posture and helps improve your bone health. Exercise promotes the production of human growth hormone (HGH). It also helps reduce the risk of osteoporosis, which is a major cause of low bone density.
Conclusion
Shorter parents do not necessarily have short children. Genes dominate in deciding a person’s height, but it is not the only factor. While you can not do much for the genes, you can help your child with proper nutrition, exercise, and enough sleep to get them the maximum genetic height.
