Why are kids taller than their parents?

LoveLamps · 26-04-2014 07:51PM #1

We could probably save ourselves a bit of hassle here if someone with a decent bran can give me a logically explanation, but alas, until then..

Me and my brother are taller than our parents. All of my male cousins are also taller than theirs and the same applies for the vast majority of all of my male friends.

So ... what gives? Is this gonna keep on happening and we just end up as a super tall race. Is this that yoke the oul fella with the beard said that drove all the christians mad?

shopaholic01 · 26-04-2014 07:58PM

Did you have a milkman as a child?

mad muffin · 26-04-2014 07:58PM

LoveLamps wrote: »

We could probably save ourselves a bit of hassle here if someone with a decent bran can give me a logically explanation, but alas, until then..

Me and my brother are taller than our parents. All of my male cousins are also taller than theirs and the same applies for the vast majority of all of my male friends.

So ... what gives? Is this gonna keep on happening and we just end up as a super tall race. Is this that yoke the oul fella with the beard said that drove all the christians mad?

I buy Aldi brand bran, is that decent? Tastes OK to me.

OneEightSeven · 26-04-2014 07:59PM

LoveLamps wrote: »

We could probably save ourselves a bit of hassle here if someone with a decent bran can give me a logically explanation, but alas, until then..

Me and my brother are taller than our parents. All of my male cousins are also taller than theirs and the same applies for the vast majority of all of my male friends.

So ... what gives? Is this gonna keep on happening and we just end up as a super tall race. Is this that yoke the oul fella with the beard said that drove all the christians mad?

Your bones are soft when you're young, so the more exercise you do, the more you stretch your bones.

A good diet is also known to stimulate bone growth. Lots of milk, too. The Dutch are the tallest in the world and they love milk.

highgiant1985 · 26-04-2014 07:59PM

LoveLamps wrote: »

We could probably save ourselves a bit of hassle here if someone with a decent bran can give me a logically explanation, but alas, until then..

Me and my brother are taller than our parents. All of my male cousins are also taller than theirs and the same applies for the vast majority of all of my male friends.

So ... what gives? Is this gonna keep on happening and we just end up as a super tall race. Is this that yoke the oul fella with the beard said that drove all the christians mad?

have you ever noticed that you're the same height as the family postman... funny that...

The One Who Knocks · 26-04-2014 08:01PM

shopaholic01 wrote: »

Did you have a milkman as a child?

Hahah what was the name of the film where the white kid had a black dad who was the postman or milkman?

Edit: No I remember it now, a black couple had a white kid and the father didn't realise his wife cheated on him with the white postman.

Anyone know the name of it?

sea_monkey · 26-04-2014 08:01PM

There are many genes which decide how tall somebody will be.
Lots of them are environmentally effected.
Better nutrition will lead to a taller person.
I'm sure there are lots who are shorter than their parents too.

The_Pretender · 26-04-2014 08:01PM

I've often wondered the same thing. Apparently 100 years ago the average height was 5'6" so yes, it does appear we as a race are growing.

Rabbo · 26-04-2014 08:05PM

Fun Fact #734: It is extremely rare for an adult male to be shorter than his mother

26-04-2014 08:09PM

Rabbo wrote: »

Fun Fact #734: It is extremely rare for an adult male to be shorter than his mother

I dunno about the rest of you here but I'm definitely having fun now.

Rabbo · 26-04-2014 08:12PM

Things get a little crazy in here on a saturday night!

DEFTLEFTHAND · 26-04-2014 08:12PM

Definitely increasing with each generation in my view. In my final year in school I'd say at a rough guess 65% of the males were 6ft or over.

For Forks Sake · 26-04-2014 08:13PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ygf0gRQsUb4

Timmyctc · 26-04-2014 08:13PM

sea_monkey wrote: »

There are many genes which decide how tall somebody will be.
Lots of them are environmentally effected.
Better nutrition will lead to a taller person.
I'm sure there are lots who are shorter than their parents too.

Shut up nerd and get a beer.

Ruu · 26-04-2014 08:14PM

A childs got more bones than a grown ups got!

Micky Dolenz · 26-04-2014 08:15PM

It's obvious, old people shrink.

carlmango11 · 26-04-2014 08:15PM

OneEightSeven wrote: »

Your bones are soft when you're young, so the more exercise you do, the more you stretch your bones.

I'm probably just ignorant but that sounds awfully like complete bull****. Any source for that?

My name is URL · 26-04-2014 08:17PM

It's the buildup of genes.. the more ancestors you have the more genes you have and you need more space to fit them all in.

It is known

Tefral · 26-04-2014 08:19PM

Id say the one and only reason is nutrition!

I eat a whole host of varied foods that our parents wouldn't have had access to when they were small.

carlmango11 · 26-04-2014 08:19PM

Genetics isn't as straightforward as "tall gene, short gene". First of all, everyone carries two "sets" of genes, only one of which they pass to their child. Secondly, different combinations of different genes can have totally different outcomes. DNA affects human development at a very low level.

Mr. Z · 26-04-2014 08:28PM

(Many?) Thousands? (I'm not sure) of genes amongst millions of sperm. We that make it out are fortunate. So many different combinations, so many possible people. Sometimes the people destined to be taller are fastest, sometimes the people destined to be smaller are fastest. We are the fast ones.

Pat Mustard · 26-04-2014 08:31PM

Some factors that affect height:

There is increased enthusiasm for biological measures of standard of living, such as people’s height. Height is a useful measure for a number of reasons. It indicates how well someone is nourished. And people who do less manual labour, or who are less afflicted by disease, are likely to be taller. A person’s height is not perfectly correlated with their standard of living—after all, Bill Gates is not a physical giant. But 20-40% of the difference in height between individuals is determined by environmental factors. And so at an aggregate level, height data are pretty helpful.

See that heights were higher before the industrial revolution, and did not begin to recover until significantly later.

So, less manual labour, (perhaps) more nutrition, etc. could have contributed.

Just surmising, but unless diets change, your children might be shorter than you.

deseil · 26-04-2014 08:48PM

The parents have all shrunk with age and the stress of rearing the feicers.

downonthefarm · 26-04-2014 08:50PM

Great,so we have a race of giant teenagers hanging around the shops to look forward to

Knex* · 26-04-2014 08:54PM

Sacramento wrote: »

I dunno about the rest of you here but I'm definitely having fun now.

Every now and again, there's a post on boards that makes me laugh, on and off, for about 20 minutes after reading it.

This, most certainly, is one of them. A work of art, good Sir.

moxin · 26-04-2014 09:14PM

I've noticed as a thirty something that alot of younger women(nevermind the younger men) are quite tall these days, defo nutrition or something.

pablo128 · 26-04-2014 09:22PM

My grandad on my da's side was a big fella for his time, 6 foot or more. My da is only about 5'9", but with 3 x 6 foot brothers. Me and my 4 brothers range from 6'1" to 6'3" in height.
My missus is only 5'2", and we often say if our daughter has my height and her looks, she'll be a supermodel. If it's the other way round, she's fcuked!:pac:

Brussels Sprout · 26-04-2014 09:29PM

moxin wrote: »

I've noticed as a thirty something that alot of younger women(nevermind the younger men) are quite tall these days, defo nutrition or something.

I've noticed this as well. I'm 32 and the 20 year olds these days all seem like giants. Has there been some kind of growth hormone introduced to the food chain or what?

Lou.m · 26-04-2014 09:47PM

Genes, diet, exercise and hormones.

Not all people who carry a gene express it. Different people within a family will be exposed to different hormonal changes.

Generally the generations get taller anyway.

We as a species have been getting gradually taller over the decades/centuries.

o while variation of height within a population has mostly to do with genetics… the variation between populations has to do with environment

Your final height is dictated chiefly by the genes you inherit from your parents, factors like nutrition and disease account for around 20 per cent of the height variation between people. The factors' effect varies from country to country. For example, studies in Australia found that boys are typically around one per cent taller than their fathers, and girls around three per cent taller than their mothers. But in the Netherlands, the difference is around double that, and seems to be accelerating, possibly due to improved health and wealth.

But physical size is dictated by many people in your family and their genes.

I am the smallest height wise in my immediate family. But I am also the skinniest. Other women like my grandmother and aunt etc were short and thin. I have taken different genes from others. But also I went vegetarian in my teens maybe that has something to do with it.

Diane Selwyn · 26-04-2014 09:48PM

The Mustard wrote: »

:

See that heights were higher before the industrial revolution, and did not begin to recover until significantly later.

At least the lows aren't getting any lower.

I have seen my grandfather's height and weight stats from when he joined the army in 1915 - shorter and smaller at 19 than I probably was at 9. Also he apparently got rejected the first time for having bad teeth so probably not the picture of robust health.

Pretzill · 26-04-2014 10:00PM

Well I was not taller than my parents - but every other sibling is - I got the short genes. But the nephews and nieces are tall - girls 5' 9" plus and boys all over 6ft.
My late da said "It's the cornflakes!"
My parents weren't tall either but there were tall folks, aunts, grandad, so it's not all cornflakes. But yeah people are getting taller -

Pat Mustard · 26-04-2014 10:02PM

Diane Selwyn wrote: »

At least the lows aren't getting any lower.

Lou.m wrote: »

Generally the generations get taller anyway.

We as a species have been getting gradually taller over the decades/centuries.

o while variation of height within a population has mostly to do with genetics… the variation between populations has to do with environment

Evolution aside, it seems strange to think that humans could continue to become taller, without any limit, assuming unlimited food supply.

Is there a predetermined genetic height ceiling? Anyone know?

moxin · 26-04-2014 10:12PM

I think the height thing has only been noticeable here in the last 20 yrs or so. Maybe it is got to do with wealth as we got wealthier in the 90's

Sir Arthur Daley · 26-04-2014 10:14PM

I blame fast food for this increase.

losthorizon · 26-04-2014 10:15PM

Why are kids getting fatter as well. Its really getting noticeable.

I'm 45 but I'm constantly asked by bus drivers am i a student its because of all the freaking fat ugly overweight students. I am a stud in comparison.

Besonders · 26-04-2014 10:16PM

moxin wrote: »

I've noticed as a thirty something that alot of younger women(nevermind the younger men) are quite tall these days, defo nutrition or something.

I thought people's nutrition is getting worse due to increased consumption of fast food, fizzy drinks etc.

Sir Arthur Daley · 26-04-2014 10:16PM

losthorizon wrote: »

Why are kids getting fatter as well. Its really getting noticeable.

I blame fast food for this too.

antodeco · 26-04-2014 10:16PM

The One Who Knocks wrote: »

Hahah what was the name of the film where the white kid had a black dad who was the postman or milkman?

Edit: No I remember it now, a black couple had a white kid and the father didn't realise his wife cheated on him with the white postman.

Anyone know the name of it?

Was that the one with Sigourney Weaver? Think it's called Aliens

deise08 · 26-04-2014 10:17PM

The One Who Knocks wrote: »

Hahah what was the name of the film where the white kid had a black dad who was the postman or milkman?

Edit: No I remember it now, a black couple had a white kid and the father didn't realise his wife cheated on him with the white postman.

Anyone know the name of it?

like me myself and Irene?

Snake · 26-04-2014 10:18PM

evolution, son.

Besonders · 26-04-2014 10:20PM

Lou.m wrote: »

Genes, diet, exercise and hormones.

Not all people who carry a gene express it. Different people within a family will be exposed to different hormonal changes.

Generally the generations get taller anyway.

We as a species have been getting gradually taller over the decades/centuries.

o while variation of height within a population has mostly to do with genetics… the variation between populations has to do with environment

Your final height is dictated chiefly by the genes you inherit from your parents, factors like nutrition and disease account for around 20 per cent of the height variation between people. The factors' effect varies from country to country. For example, studies in Australia found that boys are typically around one per cent taller than their fathers, and girls around three per cent taller than their mothers. But in the Netherlands, the difference is around double that, and seems to be accelerating, possibly due to improved health and wealth.

But physical size is dictated by many people in your family and their genes.

I am the smallest height wise in my immediate family. But I am also the skinniest. Other women like my grandmother and aunt etc were short and thin. I have taken different genes from others. But also I went vegetarian in my teens maybe that has something to do with it.

As a species we are only now getting back to the height we used to be before the agricultural revolution.

moxin · 26-04-2014 10:22PM

Besonders wrote: »

I thought people's nutrition is getting worse due to increased consumption of fast food, fizzy drinks etc.

Well, whatever it is the youngones and youngfella's are towering over us!

Reindeer · 26-04-2014 11:00PM

You can date Irish people by their height. If you ever come across a 3 foot tall Irish person, show some respect. They are the better part of 300 years old.

Lou.m · 26-04-2014 11:02PM

Besonders wrote: »

As a species we are only now getting back to the height we used to be before the agricultural revolution.

Very interesting if true.

LoveLamps · 27-04-2014 01:58AM

i would just like to point out, i have a less than favourable diet, same with my brother so i really dont think nutrition is a factor

Badly Drunk Boy · 27-04-2014 03:13AM

LoveLamps wrote: »

i would just like to point out, i have a less than favourable diet, same with my brother so i really dont think nutrition is a factor

It's to do with the diets of our parents, and their parents before them, rather than what we eat ourselves. It's accumalative. It has definitely changed since I was growing up, and apparently there were spurts in the years after the Second World War too.

I'm 40 now and 6'5". When I was in school, there were very few people in my school even close to that. In my First Communion class photo when I was 7, I was slightly taller than the (female) teacher. Now there are loads of young lads as tall or taller than me.

Penny Tration · 27-04-2014 07:25AM

This thread makes me feel like a midget.

I'm the shortest in my family. My dad ia 5'9, my mam is 5'2, my older sister is 5'7, my younger (adult) sister is 5'5, my little sister who is still a kid and still growing is 5'4.

And I'm 5'1. Where the hell did it go wrong with me?

Tbh though, I like being short.

Rachiee · 27-04-2014 07:37AM

Mr. Z wrote: »

(Many?) Thousands? (I'm not sure) of genes amongst millions of sperm. We that make it out are fortunate. So many different combinations, so many possible people. Sometimes the people destined to be taller are fastest, sometimes the people destined to be smaller are fastest. We are the fast ones.

It's now known that the sperm that joins with the egg is not necessarily the first to reach it. Bizarrely the egg will reject some sperm even if first and will chose the most viable sperm, not quite sure how that works though. In many cases all the sperm are hanging out in the seminal pool in the cervix before the egg is even released so its not a race to the egg as previously thought.

CrazyRabbit · 27-04-2014 01:38PM

God & Satan obviously.

God, if you are a good person & tall. Satan, if you are a bad person & short.

If you are short & good, or tall & bad, then you are going to purgatory as neither wants you.

Precious flower · 27-04-2014 01:53PM

I got plenty of exercise as a child and we ate really well and I'm only 5ft, though I am a girl, but I don't believe my small height is down to lack of exercise or bad nutrition. I'd say that only barley factors in and your parents height determines it and my mother and aunt are small, but my uncles on both sides are actually fairly tall. But the women all seem to be small.

Also, weren't Irish people quite tall for the time before the famine due to having such a healthy diet and physical big too due to all the physical labour?

Arthur Beesley · 27-04-2014 01:54PM

LoveLamps wrote: »

We could probably save ourselves a bit of hassle here if someone with a decent bran can give me a logically explanation, but alas, until then..

Me and my brother are taller than our parents. All of my male cousins are also taller than theirs and the same applies for the vast majority of all of my male friends.

So ... what gives? Is this gonna keep on happening and we just end up as a super tall race. Is this that yoke the oul fella with the beard said that drove all the christians mad?

Genetics?

Why are kids taller than their parents?

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