Just like your weight fluctuates throughout the day, your height can too. You’re tallest when you wake up and you may be as much as one centimeter shorter by the day’s end.
“The discs in your spine get compressed from being upright all day,” says Todd Sinett, DC, a New York City-based chiropractor and author of The Truth About Back Pain. As you sleep, your spine decompresses, and you regain the lost length.
Roughly 60 to 80 percent of your height is determined by genetics, while the rest depends on environmental factors, namely childhood nutrition. “Nutrition is the most important environmental factor that contributes to height,” says Chao-Qiang Lai, PhD, research molecular biologist with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Curious how tall your kids will ultimately grow? Here’s the formula pediatricians use to predict adult height:
For girls: Subtract 5 inches from dad’s height, average this number with mom’s height, and then add and subtract 2 inches to determine a possible range.
For boys: Add 5 inches to mom’s height, average that number with dad’s height, and then add and subtract 2 inches to get a range.
To make sure they don’t fall short, kids should chomp a well-rounded diet of fruits and veggies, whole grains, dairy, and lean protein, which supplies the vitamins and minerals that play a crucial role in growth.