Which part of the body affects growth. What influences a person's height? What to do to grow up


1. Heredity

. 90% of a person’s height is dictated by genes. Therefore, it can be calculated even before the birth of the child.

Formula for boys: (father's height + mother's height × 1.08): 2;

Formula for girls: (father's height × 0.923 + mother's height): 2.

The result obtained (±5 cm) approximately corresponds to the expected height of an adult.

2. Hormonal status

. First of all, growth hormone (somatotropin), which not only activates the formation of bone tissue, but also increases muscle mass, improves the functioning of the heart and central nervous system. Lack of somatotropin is always accompanied by growth retardation.

3. Proper nutrition.

A child’s height can be increased by 10% only through balanced nutrition. It has been scientifically proven that the formation of growth hormone is stimulated by protein foods and suppressed by glucose. Therefore, your child’s diet should include cottage cheese, lean meat, and eggs every day, and he should receive sweets only on holidays. Vitamins of group A (carrots, fish products, liver, fresh herbs), B (butter, milk, eggs, nuts, rye bread), calcium (dairy products) and phosphorus (fish) also affect growth.

4. Geographical environment, climate

. The average height of residents of northern countries is higher than that of southerners. The tallest on the planet are the inhabitants of the Netherlands (174.5 cm), and the shortest are the Maltese (164.9). Scientists have found that ultraviolet rays, within reasonable limits, accelerate human growth, and “solar” excess inhibits it.

5. Chronic diseases

. It is no coincidence that height is called an indicator of a child’s health. It slows down in many chronic diseases - anemia, impaired intestinal absorption, frequent bronchopulmonary diseases, heart defects, impaired renal and liver function. In these cases, growth retardation is temporary and reversible - upon recovery, the child sharply “goes up.”

6. Psychological state of the child

. Researchers even have a special term - psychosocial short stature. With prolonged stress, the production of growth hormone decreases, and children grow poorly.

What influences a person's height?

As a person grows older, the only exception is cases associated with developmental problems. The rate at which a person grows is influenced by the hormone somatotropin. If there is too much of this hormone in the human body or, conversely, not enough, then this is fraught with certain deviations, due to which the person may not grow at all or become too tall.

It should also be noted that people often forget that heredity plays a big role. If both parents are tall, it is likely that their children will also be tall. Is there anything that can be done about heredity?

However, it also happens that a child can grow tall even where all family members are of average height. In such cases, when the height of children is, for example, 186 cm at the age of 13, we can talk about the existence of problems with the endocrine system. In such a situation, you need to visit a doctor.

Good dream

Sleeping on your back

Science has long proven that quality sleep can increase growth. To grow 10 or 20 cm, it is important to follow these rules:

  • sleeping on a hard mattress without a pillow;
  • sleeping in a supine position;
  • fall asleep no later than 21:00.

To grow at any age, you need to get enough rest, preferably on a hard surface. In the supine position without a pillow, the spine relaxes as much as possible, which leads to its lengthening. You won’t be able to grow overnight, but providing your body with quality rest is quite possible. Bedtime is also important. From 21:00 to 2:00 the body produces somatotropin and melatonin. The first is growth hormone, thanks to which we become taller. The second is the sleep hormone, which provides relaxation and quality rest.

It follows that the earlier a person goes to bed, the better the body rests and recovers. Accordingly, the production of hormones is much better. To achieve the goal of increasing height by age 20, you definitely need to sleep a sufficient amount of time, going to bed no later than 21:00.

To grow 2-5 cm at home, it is important not to overload your stomach with heavy food before bed. Dinner should be nutritious but light. For quality sleep, it is recommended to consume the following foods at night:

  • dates;
  • bananas;
  • figs;
  • tomatoes.

Figs, tomatoes, dates, bananas

These quickly digestible, easily digestible foods allow you to saturate the body with vitamins and increase the level of melatonin in the blood. These recommendations can be taken into account by a guy or girl aged 18-20 who would like to increase their height.

Anthropological attitudes

The question of what time a person stops growing is quite popular. It is a well-known fact that in the period from 11 to 14 years people grow quite quickly, and stop growing approximately from 19 to 24 years. However, people still grow a little and until the age of 40 they add several millimeters per year. This is considered completely normal and there is no need to worry about it.

As soon as a person overcomes a certain age limit, his height will begin to decrease. As experts say, over 10 years a person loses about 14 mm in height. Why does this happen? Loss in height indicates contraction of joints, vertebrae, and cartilage tissue.

Exercises to increase height.

If you want to know whether it is possible to increase your height in reality, and not just visually, then the “Shape” section is for you. For this purpose, special programs have been developed and already tested by many, allowing a person to grow up in the literal sense. The most well-known growth methods are given below.

  • Tranquillitati technique. The exercises from this technique were originally intended to alleviate the condition of people experiencing pain in the neck and various parts of the spine. But as it turned out, people who practiced the Tranquillitati method not only recovered, but also noticed an increase in their own height.
  • Norbekov's technique. This system includes exercises that help improve posture, build up cartilage tissue between the vertebrae, as well as exercises that stimulate the growth of leg bones. The author of the technique assures that with its help you can increase your height by 2–10 cm.
  • Lonsky's exercises. By doing exercises for 1 hour in the morning and 1 hour in the evening, you can grow a few centimeters. It is also necessary to play basketball and train in the pool.
  • Berg's technique. The fact that a person can increase his height only up to 20 years of age was one of the first to question A. Berg. He argued that even at 30 years old it is quite possible to become taller. The fact is that every person has growth reserves and Berg’s technique is designed to awaken them. It includes not only physical exercises using a mat with spikes and exercise machines, but also auto-training. You need to exercise before bed and immediately after getting up in the morning.
  • Evminov's technique. There are some similarities with Norbekov’s technique. Evminov’s exercises are performed on a special board. According to the author, his technique helps to grow at any age by at least 3–5 cm. This happens due to the restoration and strengthening of the elements of the osteochondral system of the spinal column.
  • Inversion exercises. The meaning of this technique is that the training takes place in an inverted body position. Hard work helps you achieve amazing results. These exercises, in addition to increasing height, are also very beneficial for the spine. They help get rid of various problems, such as intervertebral hernia, lumbosacral radiculitis, and incorrect posture.
  • Cycling training. Cycling is one of the most effective ways to lengthen your legs. You need to raise the saddle so that your legs have to touch the pedals with your toes while riding. Your regular bike will do for training.
  • Swimming. The best swimming style for growth is breaststroke. If you swim this style regularly, the body will be subjected to constant stretching alternating with relaxation. To grow 2 cm or more, you need to train intensively - at least 3 times a week for an hour a day.

In order to grow, in addition to regular physical training, proper nutrition, a mindset for success and sleep are important.

Stunted growth of a girl

So how can a girl stop growing tall? In such cases, the girl will be prescribed special hormonal therapy. This therapy helps suppress the production of certain hormones. It is worth noting that only a specialist has the right to prescribe hormonal medications after a medical examination has been carried out. There is no need to try to self-medicate.

2 ladies on the track

The role of nutrition in increasing growth.

Without the required amount of building material and energy, the body will be deprived of resources for growth. Therefore, if you are seriously thinking about how you can increase your height, pay increased attention to your own nutrition.

How can you increase a person's height? The role of nutrition.

You can increase your body's production of growth hormone by eating a diet containing small amounts of foods with a high glycemic index. Limit or eliminate refined sweets, flour products, and very sweet fruits from your diet. Nutritionists also advise being careful about your dinner. On the table in the evening there should be foods containing more protein and less carbohydrates, for example, eggs, fish, seafood, cheese, herbs, nuts, seeds, legumes. It can't hurt to take a daily supplement. They must contain zinc. This trace element stimulates the production of growth hormone well.

When do boys stop growing?

As already noted, boys and girls grow up very differently. So, as for boys, this process happens much slower for them. All this is because boys begin puberty a couple of years later than girls. So at what age do boys stop growing? While boys may lag behind girls during puberty, they still manage to catch up with them from about 12 to 21 years of age. During this entire period, the boy can grow by 40-64 cm.

2 basketball players

Constitutional tallness - what is it?

It is already known when a person stops growing, but this does not help people get rid of complexes associated with great height. Therefore, you need to pay attention to the fact that such high growth is explained by constitutional features.

growth stages

When, during a medical examination by a specialist, certain disturbances associated with hormonal levels are not found, then there will be no talk of therapeutic intervention.

Many doctors notice that girls are tormented by the question of how to stop growing at 15 years old. Many girls reach a fairly large height by the age of 15, and they don’t want to grow any further. After all, not everyone wants to be tall; many girls begin to grow tall because of their differences from those around them. And many are influenced by modern stereotypes that men choose small ladies rather than tall ones. However, it must be borne in mind that doctors do not recommend somehow interfering with the growth process, especially when the girl’s height is less than 185 cm. If she is taller than 185 cm, then interfering with this process is allowed.

men in a row

By the way

Is it true that children grow up in their sleep?

Is it true. Up to 70% of growth hormone is released at night. Therefore, children who do not get enough sleep tend to be stunted.

To what age do people grow?

An increase in growth is possible only until the growth zones close - on average 18-20 years. Girls grow up to 17-19 years of age (peak growth occurs at 11 years old - at this age they grow by 8.3 cm per year), boys - up to 19-21 years of age (peak growth is 12-13 years old, increase - 9.5 cm per year). With age, height decreases - by 60 years by 2-2.5 cm, by 80 - by 6-7 cm.

We would like to thank Anatoly Sitel, Professor of the Russian State Medical University, Chief Physician of the Center for Manual Therapy, for his assistance in preparing the material.

People in different centuries had different heights. For example, the Cro-Magnons, who lived tens of thousands of years ago, were tall and slender. The average height of men was 180-185 cm. But during the excavations of Pompeii, after the eruption of Vesuvius 2 thousand years ago, the bodies of adults were found, whose average height barely reached 165 cm. The knights of the Middle Ages were also not distinguished by their massive forms. A modern European cannot fit into the knightly armor of that time, since it is too small for him.

So what determines the height of people? Here we must immediately determine the average indicators in general and the average indicators of different nations. The current human civilization, descended from the Cro-Magnons, has an average height of 165 cm. To calculate this value, we gathered everyone together: the Chinese, the Indians, the Africans, the Iranians, the Turks, the French, the Dutch, the Norwegians, etc. d. As a result of this, the above value was obtained. Moreover, according to experts, it has not changed over the centuries.

But as for individual peoples and races, the picture is completely different. Average heights fluctuate dramatically over the centuries, and the difference can even reach 15 cm. Not only height changes, weight and physique also undergo changes. Let's look at the Caucasian race. Compared to the 19th century, it has grown significantly. But why did this happen? Some scientists argue that growth and physique are dramatically influenced by nutrition, the economic development of the country, the level of medicine, and the number of wars. All this together determines the size of people.

But what about the Cro-Magnons who lived in the primitive era or the peoples who existed 2 thousand years ago? The Cro-Magnon diet consisted of animal foods and a variety of fruits. As for the Romans or ancient Greeks, they ate approximately the same food plus grains. But it should be noted that in those days only natural products were consumed. There was no chemistry. Nowadays, the diet consists of food laced with chemicals. There can be no talk of any natural or organic products.

In the 17th century, the average height of a man in Veliky Novgorod was 165 cm. And the average height of a woman was 152 cm. Recruits recruited into the tsarist army in the 18th century had a height of 163-168 cm. And what - these people regularly did not have enough to eat and did not live that political system or what? Perhaps the society at that time was extremely economically unstable or suffered from crop failures for decades. But what about the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945? Among those born during these years, there are a lot of people taller than 175 cm. So what does people’s height depend on?

Girls in 1911

Throughout the 20th century, the Caucasian race became taller. At the same time, there was also an increase in acceleration and then a decline. Its last attenuation was noted in the early 80s of the last century. Currently, there has been an increase in activity again, and teenagers began to form much earlier.

It should be recognized that people change over the decades, but do urbanization, the quality of nutrition, and the level of medicine affect this? It is believed that these factors make a person taller and heavier. In Europe, over the past 70 years, people have grown by 11 cm. The Dutch are considered the tallest nation today. For men, the average height is 185 cm. But 50 years ago, Americans had the highest height. In 1960, the average height in the USA was 177 cm. In Russia in the 60s of the last century, the average height was 168 cm. Nowadays, it is 178 cm.

When talking about external factors that supposedly influence people’s growth, we completely forget about genes and the DNA molecule. But it is in the molecule that the genetic program for the development of both all humanity and individual races and peoples is laid down. Such a program cannot change in several decades. This takes centuries. Another thing is that the program is subject to cyclicity. And every cycle has a rise, a peak and a decline. That is, there is a rise for several centuries, then a maximum occurs, and after it comes a gradual decline.

And trying to answer the question of what determines the growth of people, are we not witnessing the usual cyclical nature of growth characteristics? We can assume that the curve is now at its maximum or is confidently approaching it. Then there will be temporary stability, and after that there will be a gradual decline. At the same time, people will begin to decrease in height to a certain minimum. And then everything will happen again, but this will happen many centuries later.

Girls in 2014

But in addition to height, there are other indicators: weight, physique, muscle mass, strength of arms and legs. This is where we can talk about nutrition, the state of medicine, living standards, and the economy. And what do we see? But we see a rather bleak picture. People grow in accordance with the cyclical nature of the genetic program, but at the same time they lag behind their ancestors in all other respects.

Modern young men are noticeably weaker than their peers who lived 70 years ago. For example, a young man who lived in Moscow in the 30s of the last century squeezed 55 kg on a strength meter. The current young man bench presses only 37 kg. My physique has also changed, not for the better. Previous generations were much more muscular, wiry and physically developed than today's youth. But here we are not talking about a pile of muscles that are specially pumped up and from which there is no use. This refers to the normal physical condition of the body with well-developed muscles of the arms, legs, and abs.

So, when discussing the topic of what determines the height of people, we should not forget about other physical parameters. They are the ones that determine health and life expectancy. And growth should be considered as a secondary factor that does not have any fundamental impact on the basic functions of the body.

Vladislav Ovechkin

Experts from Imperial College London decided to figure out where the tallest and shortest people live on the planet. To do this, they conducted a large-scale study, studying data for a hundred years - from 1914 to 2014. They analyzed the height of young men and women from different countries - all participants were 18 years old.

It turned out that now the tallest men live in the Netherlands, and the tallest women live in Latvia. Residents of Guatemala and men living in East Timor are distinguished by their short stature.

In 1914, the highest were the representatives of Sweden - Swedish men, and women took first place in the ranking. Laotian men then closed the table, whose height in 1914 was only 153 cm - this is the average height of a twelve-year-old modern boy. But Guatemalan women were at the bottom of the ranking even a hundred years ago (their average height did not exceed 140 cm).

In general, over a hundred years the world's population has clearly grown, although the gap between the tallest and shortest representatives of different countries remains quite significant.

Genes influence

Growth is influenced by many factors. Of course, environmental conditions play an important role - for example, good nutrition and exercise. But still, we should not forget that genes make the main contribution.

Not one, not two, but several hundred, or more precisely, more than 400 gene regions have been discovered. The genes located on them (and mutations that occur in these genes) regulate skeletal growth, participate in the metabolism of collagen - an important component of bones - and perform a number of functions that do not seem to be directly related to the skeleton and muscles.

Scientists, however, are confident that they will be able to show how changes in certain genes affect human growth. If their confidence is confirmed, it will be possible to treat a huge number of diseases that lead to growth disorders.

Taller, shorter, healthier?

Does being tall provide any benefits beyond the fact that a person can easily hold onto the handrail on the subway and can easily see the stage while in a crowd of spectators?

There is indeed a relationship between height and the risk of developing certain diseases. The taller a person is, the less often he develops atherosclerotic plaques and, accordingly, the lower the risk of coronary heart disease. In addition, tall people are less likely to develop type 2 diabetes. What this is connected with is still unclear, but the dependence is observed in both men and women.

Height also affects the incidence of cancer. Tall people are more likely to develop melanoma and breast cancer. Swedish scientists came to these conclusions as a result of 50 years of observations. And breast tumors were more common in tall people.

One possible explanation: Tall people simply have more body surface area and therefore have a higher risk of melanoma. This, however, does not explain why the incidence of breast cancer increases with growth.

Height also affects mental health, but tall people are lucky: for example, women with a height of 170 cm are half as likely to die from dementia as those whose height is 155 cm.

Growth and everything, everything, everything

Surprisingly, height (along with weight) affects annual income. British scientists (and who else if not them) have found that high growth is associated with higher income, but they have not yet figured out how to explain this data.

And finally, life expectancy is related to height: the taller a person is, the shorter he lives. Each additional centimeter "reduces" 0.7 years of life expectancy - this was shown in a study involving 1.3 million Spaniards. Whether this dependence is typical only for Spaniards or is also observed in people of other nationalities remains to be seen.

In general, any height has its pros and cons. True, unlike weight, it is almost impossible to influence height - in adulthood, without resorting to surgical intervention, it is quite difficult to grow or shrink. This means that you just have to remember that height can be a risk factor and monitor your health.

Elena Bezrukova

Human height always depends on genetic factors. According to scientists, the influence of genetics on this process is 60-80 percent. Therefore, in families where both parents are tall, having a short child is almost impossible. But this does not mean that growth cannot be regulated. Some factors inhibit the normal process of human development, so it is advisable to exclude them. The most important factors that prevent a person from growing and developing normally are alcohol and drugs. If you use them in childhood or adolescence, you may not grow up.

Growth can be stunted not only by alcohol and drugs, but also by poor nutrition. If the cause of insufficient growth is not the above things, then you can make it so that visually you will appear taller than your height.

How to find out your genetic height

You can easily calculate your estimated height. To do this, you need to know the height of your mother and father in centimeters, which will need to be added together. If you are male, then add 13 to the resulting amount, and if you are female, then subtract 13. Then divide the resulting amount by two. What you get will be your average height, which may differ from your real height by 10 centimeters. Anyone who wants to achieve their height should definitely eat the right way.

How to eat to grow

It is better to follow a balanced diet, and also try not to gain weight. After all, a fat person, as a rule, seems shorter than he actually is. A slender person not only seems taller, but he also feels much better than a fat person. To grow taller, you need to adhere to a certain diet. It must contain protein, which is found in dairy products, fermented baked milk, white poultry meat, fish, soy. These foods help build muscles as well as bones, which is why they are so important for productive growth. Under no circumstances should you get too carried away with foods containing fast carbohydrates - all types of sweets, pizza, soda, etc. They destroy the normal functioning of the motor system.

Calcium-rich foods also promote bone and muscle growth. Foods such as spinach, dairy products, and cabbage contain calcium. The diet must contain foods rich in zinc. Scientists have conducted research and found that a lack of zinc can negatively affect a man’s health. It also delays development. Zinc is found in oysters, zucchini, wheat germ, pumpkin, peanuts, seafood and lamb. Children's muscles and bones cannot develop fully if there is not enough vitamin D. If a child is deficient in this vitamin, his growth may be stunted. In addition, teenage girls with a lack of this vitamin are overweight.

What to do to grow up

Physical exercise plays a huge role in a teenager's growth. If a teenager is physically active, he grows and develops faster. When performing jumping exercises, growth is stimulated. You need to exercise at least 30 minutes a day. To make playing sports interesting, you can purchase a gym membership, or you can join some sports section.

Walking in the fresh air is also useful, so in any free minute you need to go out into the air and walk. Healthy, adequate sleep is another factor that promotes growth. After all, it is during sleep that more somatotropic hormones, which are responsible for growth, begin to be produced. A person under 20 years old needs to sleep at least 9-11 hours a day.

Myths and misconceptions about human height

Many teenagers are interested in the following questions:

1. Does growth slow down with caffeine abuse? The answer is no, but there is some danger. Caffeine disrupts the sleep of teenagers, and sleep is known to promote growth, so it should not be abused.

2. If a teenager smokes, does his growth stop? Scientists don't yet know the exact answer, but their research has shown that children who smoke or who smoke passively grow slower than their peers.

3. How do steroids affect growth? They hinder growth. Anabolic steroids also have a negative effect on the heart and productivity.

4. When does a person stop growing? When does puberty end? This usually occurs between the ages of 20-25.

How to visually increase height

Some visual tricks will help you appear taller than your real height. If you watch your posture and walk with a straight back, you will appear tall. Tight-fitting clothing helps a person appear taller. If you are short, you should never wear loose, wide clothes. Girls should wear heels to appear taller. Short girls do not need to wear flat shoes.

With the help of clothes, they also emphasize the advantages of the figure. Long legs are emphasized with shorts and miniskirts. Leggings and leggings visually make your figure appear shorter. Clothes in dark shades make a person look slimmer, and a slender physique always appears taller. Therefore, it is better to choose clothes in dark shades. Vertical stripes, as well as patterns, visually make the figure slim. Horizontal ones, on the contrary, make the figure fuller.

Human height, which is genetically determined, is almost impossible to change, but much depends on the height of the man and woman in their lives. Are modern people really superior to their ancestors? Why don't we grow throughout our lives? What is the maximum height for the human skeleton? And which famous person have you surpassed in height?

Human growth is one of the most important indicators of the state of the body. It depends on a whole complex of hereditary properties, the entry of many substances into the body, its hormonal regulation, environmental conditions, social status, etc.

Growth hormone produced by the pituitary gland stimulates the development of cells and tissues. The natural cessation of growth is not caused by a lack of hormone production by the pituitary gland, but by an age-related decrease in the ability of cells and tissues of the body to respond to the action of this hormone. Growth is also greatly influenced by insulin (a hormone of the pancreas), products of activity and the adrenal glands.

Excessive secretion of growth hormone leads to a disease such as acromegaly

or
gigantism
, the lack of the hormone leads to growth retardation, up to dwarfism.
Gigantism occurs more often in males. Lilliputians, or pituitary dwarfs
, are proportional subjects. These include everyone whose height at the age of twenty does not exceed 140 centimeters for men and 130 centimeters for women.

Growth also depends on social well-being. It was noted that once the difference between an aristocrat and a poor man reached 20–22 centimeters. In the 13th century, the average height of recruits from the south of France was 154 centimeters, and from Paris - 162 centimeters; At the same time, in Russia the average height of service people was 162–164 centimeters, while Muscovites were taller than Novgorod residents.

The growth of a newborn depends on the size of the parents, the size of the uterus, the mother’s nutrition, the presence or absence of toxic processes in her body, as well as the number of previous births. From birth to 7–8 years, boys and girls generally differ little in body length. After 8–10 and up to fifteen years, girls grow somewhat faster, and then boys become taller than girls.

Girls stop growing at the age of fifteen or sixteen, boys - at the age of 18–21. The growth of bones in length most often ends by the time of puberty, and in men it occurs later than in women, which is why they are often taller. Statistics show that over the past hundred years, the height of adolescents has increased by an average of 10 percent, which is about 17.5 centimeters.

Currently, the average height of a Russian man is 176 centimeters, and that of a Russian woman is 168 centimeters. On average, the height of men is 13.5 centimeters higher than that of women.

Psychologists say that men have an irresistible desire to reach the 183-centimeter mark. It is possible that the taller a man is, the more sexually in demand he is.

Nowadays, the taller a woman is, the faster she climbs the career ladder. It is possible that its growth is due to the significant content of the male sex hormone testosterone in the body.

It is believed that a man should be taller than a woman. And if he is a ruler, a boss, then his figure, at least in the minds of his subordinates and when depicted (sculpture, painting), as a rule, rises above ordinary people.

According to American researchers, the wife's height exceeds the husband's in only one out of 720 married couples. But A. Pushkin barely reached the shoulder of his wife Natalya Goncharova.

According to research, positive heroes are more often represented as tall and physically strong people. And women of all cultural backgrounds recognize tall men as more attractive.

Don Quixote had, judging by the famous literary work, a long narrow body. Sancho Panza, on the contrary, was short, stocky, had a short neck and massive muscles. Now think about how our ideas about these literary characters would change if they swapped bodies with each other...

There is an international club, currently numbering about 3 thousand people whose height exceeds 2 meters. If in the first years of the club’s existence its members only consoled each other, then later they began to fight for the production of furniture, shoes and clothing designed for their height, for tax reduction, etc.

In A. Belyaev’s science fiction novel “The Man Who Lost His Face,” hormones “brought” the beautiful Gedda Lux to a height of 287 centimeters. Such growth has not yet been recorded in real people. But in life, men (the length of their limbs usually exceeds the length of the body) have the following records: the Russian Fyodor Makhnov’s height reached 285 centimeters, the Finn Kajanus and the Dutchman Albert Kramer - 282. Records for women (their body length usually prevails over the length limbs): the German Marianne Veda was 255 centimeters tall, and the American Dolores Pullard was 250 centimeters tall. In Russia, the tallest was obviously Elizaveta Lysko - 227 centimeters.

Today, the tallest man in the world is the Turk Sultan Kosen, his height is 247 centimeters, and the Chinese Bao Xishun is 236 centimeters. Zhytomyr resident Leonid Stadnik, with a height of 255 centimeters, is still the unofficial record holder and continues to grow.

In 1872, in England, a marriage took place between Scotswoman Anna Swan (height 234 centimeters) and captain of the guards Martin Bates (height 218 centimeters).

But there are limits to human height. We cannot reach a height of 3–4 meters: our bones are not designed for such a load. Below I present data on the growth of a number of very famous people that I was able to collect, based on information in periodicals.

The height of famous people

A.Pope1 m 35 cm
Tamerlane1 m 45 cm
Alexander the Great1 m 50 cm
Charlemagne1 m 50 cm
A. Pushkin1 m 59 cm (according to other sources 1 m 64 cm)
M. Lermontov1 m 60 cm
B.Mussolini1 m 60 cm (according to other sources 1 m 55 cm, 1 m 62 cm)
Z. Freud1 m 60 cm
Napoleon1 m 61 cm (according to other sources 1 m 52 cm, 1 m 65 cm, 1 m 69 cm)
I.Stalin1 m 62 cm (according to other sources 1 m 69 cm, 1 m 53.5 cm)
Kim JongIr 1 m 62 cm
V. Lenin1 m 64 cm
A. Hitler1 m 65 cm
N. Khrushchev1 m 66 cm
S. Yesenin1 m 68 cm
N. Sarkozy1 m 68 cm
V.Vysotsky1 m 70 cm
V.Putin1 m 70 cm
D.Medvedev1 m 72 cm
S. Berlusconi1 m 73 cm
Nicholas II1 m 74 cm
M. Gorbachev1 m 75 cm
L.Brezhnev1 m 76 cm
Ivan groznyj1 m 78 cm
B. Yeltsin1 m 88 cm
V. Mayakovsky1 m 89 cm
Peter I2 m 01 cm (according to other sources 204–213 cm)

The shortest, obviously, should be recognized as a thirty-seven-year-old woman described in the 17th century by the French naturalist Buffon, who had a height of 43.3 centimeters, and the Filipino Juan de la Cruz, who was 48 centimeters tall. Today, the height of twenty-five-year-old Turk Suleiman Erie is 87 centimeters, and the eight-year-old resident of the island of Java Karey is 51 centimeters. In 2010, eighteen-year-old Nepalese Gyanendra Thapa Magar, who is 55 centimeters tall, entered the Guinness Book of Records.

Often in some states, short people also unite in clubs, because tax services do not take into account that they have to order special clothes, shoes, furniture, adjust the car control system to their height, etc.

Comment on the article “The height of men and women: what it depends on. Norms and records"

There is such a politically correct error in the table. Putin's height is secret data. Try typing in the search?! In fact, not 170 cm, of course, but much less. Likewise Medvedev.

02.05.2016 22:26:16,

So Mayakovsky was a giant among his own! Once I was amazed when I went to the houses-museums of writers - they have such small beds and small shirts)))

03.07.2015 21:33:51,

Length is a horizontal measure, better used by undertakers in discussions of human growth. It would be more correct to talk about height.

05/11/2014 23:06:54, AVL

Total 4 messages.

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How to stop growth?

There are certain methods that will help stop the growth process. However, among these methods there are those that are considered dangerous to use or must be used under the strict supervision of a doctor.

Options that will answer the question of how to stop growing in height include:

  1. Hormonal therapy. As already noted, hormonal medications that interfere with “increase in centimeters” can only be prescribed by doctors and after real developmental problems have been identified. Often, to stop the growth process, they turn to the use of the drug “Ethinyl estradiol”. Only an endocrinologist can determine the dosage and how long to use the drug.
  2. Use of anabolic steroids. It is a known fact that a child with asthma who uses a steroid-based inhaler will be about 5 cm shorter than his peers. But it is important to note that nothing is known about the effectiveness of their use in adults, so resort to this method yourself as an adult Not recommended. In addition, steroids are prohibited by law in the Russian Federation.
  3. Sleep problems, lack of sleep. The production of somatotropin occurs only during sleep, which is what causes insomnia; sleep problems can negatively affect the potential growth of your children.
  4. Bad habits. Smoking is often associated with effects on growth development, but there is no evidence to support this. But if you believe the statistics of researchers, then if a child smokes, he will be significantly shorter in height than his peers who are not susceptible to bad habits.

girls height

Is it possible to become taller as an adult?

If high growth is not determined at the genetic level, no gentle methods will help an adult grow slowly or quickly. It is possible to accelerate the processes responsible for growth in childhood and adolescence. To increase the height of a person at the age of 14, it is necessary to consume vitamin D and zinc in sufficient quantities. It will no longer be possible to grow up after 25 years using similar elements. Vitamins and minerals do not affect the growth of a mature person.

Swimming to increase height

In some cases, hormonal drugs are used to increase the height of a teenager by 5-10 cm. They are introduced into the body in the form of injections. The active components help stretch bones, gradually increasing the child's height. This method helps a 14-year-old boy increase his height, but at the age of 19, the use of special drugs cannot lead to the expected result. Accordingly, after the age of 25, it is not advisable to increase a guy’s height using this method.

Adults can try to increase their height by doing swimming and special exercises several times a day. These methods for increasing growth are gentle. They may not help increase your height by the desired 10 cm, but they will significantly improve your health by making your body more resilient.

If a guy at 18 wants to be taller, doctors can make clear recommendations to grow faster:

  • eat healthy and balanced, focusing on meat and dairy products;
  • regularly engage in sports - swimming and gymnastics;
  • sleep at least eight hours on a comfortable bed.

These tips will help a young guy increase his height at home, without resorting to radical methods.

Fictions on how to influence the growth process

Often people who are puzzled by the question of how to stop growing in height resort to stupid and completely useless methods. The methods they choose cannot affect growth at all, but they can negatively affect the general condition of a person. In order not to suffer from such useless and harmful ways to stop growth, you should sort out the most popular myths about this.

These include:

  1. Eliminating calcium from the diet. People often believe that it has an effect on bone development. However, this is wrong, because calcium only affects the strengthening of teeth and bones. You should not completely exclude it from the diet, because its lack is fraught with pulmonary spasms and even the occurrence of rickets.
  2. Carrying heavy things. If children carry heavy things, for example, a heavy backpack, this will negatively affect the child’s posture, and not at all on his growth.
  3. Too much caffeine. If caffeine is used as a growth inhibitor, the child may become really paranoid or overactive. However, this will not help influence the growth process in any way. That is why this method is very harmful and should not be used.

If people stop actively growing, then their body naturally inhibits the production of certain hormones. But the use of artificial stimulation of such a process can negatively affect the health of the growing organism.

It should be remembered that there is no need to get carried away with self-medication; it is recommended to seek help from doctors. And in the case when nothing helps you stop growth, try to simply love and accept yourself, giving up looking for ways to stop growing.

Healthy lifestyle and growth

This factor is usually underestimated, but in many cases it is the cause of growth retardation, or even its absence. A bad habit like smoking directly affects growth. And the dependence here is directly proportional - the more a teenager (or even a child, as is often the case now) smokes, the less he grows, or even does not grow at all. But what has a positive effect on growth is playing sports. Exercises such as, for example, hanging on a bar, are especially good in this sense. Among sports games and sports that have a positive effect on a child’s growth, we note volleyball and swimming, as well as high jumping and basketball, since in these sports, in order to achieve certain results, one often has to stretch oneself literally. The only thing to avoid is extreme physical activity. Not only is this simply harmful for a fragile child’s body, it also has no effect on growth, but regular and moderate dynamic loads are exactly what is needed for the normal growth of a child.

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