How tall will I be? Understanding the factors that determine height

[tommy-gunn]

Are genetics the main component on how tall you will grow up in life? or does weight, physical activity, what you eat, smoking, drugs, alcohol, effect on how tall you will be?

 

[jim mcnamara]

It is generally considered to be a 'Heredity <-> Environment' interaction, it is a plastic response. The current consensus is there is no perfect understanding of the whole mechanism. Example - one identical twin can be taller than the other . Identical twins have the same genes.

In simple terms it means:
The genetic component sets a range of possible outcomes, the environment (food, alcohol, etc.) pushes the outcome one way or another.

The genetic component for height in humans is not at a single locus (gene place on the chromosome) but related to several loci. This is multifactorial inheritance - where a lot of different genes interact with each other (to set a possible range of outcomes) and the environment dictates the rest.

 

[baywax]

Are genetics the main component on how tall you will grow up in life? or does weight, physical activity, what you eat, smoking, drugs, alcohol, effect on how tall you will be?

I'm sure you've heard of elevator shoes.

 

[stickythighs]

Are genetics the main component on how tall you will grow up in life? or does weight, physical activity, what you eat, smoking, drugs, alcohol, effect on how tall you will be?

Genetics are the main component by far. Physical activity and diet plays a tiny role.

I am only 5'1".

 

[turbo]

Physical activity and diet plays a tiny role.

I am only 5'1".

That may not be true. I was a long-distance runner in HS and I trained heavily. When I graduated, I had not yet reached 5'3". My first year in college (almost no running, and certainly not 5-6 miles a day) I grew by about 4".

My niece is the smallest person in her family and trained heavily (modern dance, ballet, etc). She is a couple of inches shorter than her mother at 5'1" and her younger sister is about 5'8". One of her cousins is by far the shortest person in her family, and she trained heavily, as well (gymnastics). Again, she is shorter than her mother. Both of these ladies are quite petite and you wouldn't guess that they are in their 30's. They both get carded whenever they go to a place that serves alcohol.

 

[mgb_phys]

Assuming you live in a country with good nutrition (you are on the internet!) and no major diseases there are two common models:
The Gray Method focuses on your genetic potential - average your mother and father's heights and add five inches if you are a boy or subtract five inches if you are a girl.