5. Mom Was Wrong About Caffeine
It’s an old wives’ tale that caffeine stunts growth in children, says Tanya Remer Altmann, MD, a pediatrician in Westlake Village, Calif., and a spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics. However, it does act as a stimulant and can cause irritability, sleep problems, and headaches, which is why doctors recommend that kids avoid it.
What can stunt growth: cigarettes. One study in the Annals of Epidemiology found that boys who smoked frequently between ages 12 and 17 were about an inch shorter than their non-smoking peers, although a similar effect was not seen in girls. (Most boys are still growing during this period and girls are not, which could explain the difference).
Certain medical issues, including food allergies, hormone imbalances, and heart, kidney, or liver issues, can also stunt children’s growth, as can certain medications, such as stimulant drugs for ADHD.
6. With Height Comes Cancer Risk
The taller you are, the greater your risk of cancer, according to a study in the journal Lancet Oncology. After examining medical records of more than one million British women whose height ranged from less than 5 feet 1 inch to 5 feet 8 inches and taller, researchers found that the tallest women had a 37 percent greater risk of developing cancer.
“Tall people may have more cells in their bodies so there’s a greater chance that one might become cancerous, or the link might be related to levels of growth hormones,” says lead study author Jane Green, a clinical epidemiologist and research lecturer at the University of Oxford. Similar results may also apply to men.
Of course you can’t change your height, but before you worry, know that the increased risk is still relatively small. Instead, focus on reducing the cancer risk factors you can do something about, like not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, and limiting alcohol intake.