ok im 15 almost 16 and im sitll growing im 5"10.5 and im suppsoe to hit 6' and the doctor said that it all based on my eating, so can you guys give me any good ideas of what i shud eat so i get those extra 2 inches

Your doctor told you that if you eat enough you will grow TALLER?

That's news to me. Then again I'm pretty short. :D

He is right, you are probably still growing at that age. However, your heigth will be determined by genetics and not by what you are eating. But it doesn't hurt to eat well. I ate like crap at that age, and still managed to hit 6"0, which is tall for a girl. I could get away with a lot because of a fast metabolism. People used to joke that I had a hollow leg. Now, to stay lean, I have to work my butt off.

I stopped growing by the time I was 16. But I know that men can keep growing until 18 or 19. Just a fun little fact - My dad grew a FOOT during his Junior year. My grandmother said he was always complaining of "growing pains" and she couldn't keep up with him clothes wise. I have seen lots of pics and everything was hi-waters on him. Pretty funny. He is now 6"4.

Anyway, it is all genetics. My mom is 5"5 and dad like I mentioned is 6"4.

He is right, you are probably still growing at that age. However, your heigth will be determined by genetics and not by what you are eating. But it doesn't hurt to eat well. I ate like crap at that age, and still managed to hit 6"0, which is tall for a girl. I could get away with a lot because of a fast metabolism. People used to joke that I had a hollow leg. Now, to stay lean, I have to work my butt off.

I stopped growing by the time I was 16. But I know that men can keep growing until 18 or 19. Just a fun little fact - My dad grew a FOOT during his Junior year. My grandmother said he was always complaining of "growing pains" and she couldn't keep up with him clothes wise. I have seen lots of pics and everything was hi-waters on him. Pretty funny. He is now 6"4.

Anyway, it is all genetics. My mom is 5"5 and dad like I mentioned is 6"4.

That is partially true, but heritability of height is "only" about .9, which means that it is mostly genetic, but it can be influenced by nutrition as well. That is why people are taller now than they were 60 years ago. In all likelihood, he is probably getting good enough nutrition to maximize his genetic potential for height, BUT, if he wants to ensure that is the case, then he should be sure he consumes enough calories, and that his food choices are primarily nutrient-rich foods that provide him with what he needs to grow. If most of your nutrition comes from potato chips and McDonalds, then you may not grow to your max possible height.

From my understanding your diet will realistically make no difference. What you eat CAN affect your adult height, but mainly in terms of borderline malnutrition and so forth. If you were one of those "starving kids in Ethiopia" then you might legitimately have something to worry about.

If you eat "long" foods you'll get taller, so concentrate on getting the majority of your protein from snakes. :gl:

Seriously though, this guy's posts are off the "stupid meter."

If you eat "long" foods you'll get taller, so concentrate on getting the majority of your protein from snakes. :gl:

Seriously though, this guy's posts are off the "stupid meter."


BE NICE!!!!!! :rolleyes: He's a kid.

Actually there is some truth to the statement that what you eat determines how tall you are...only problem is you have to have been "eating right" since you were born, your infant years being critical. Generally speaking this is why the average American is bigger than the average Chinese person...plain and simple they eat better from birth. This has become more pronounced since the Seventies when the "health-food "craze became totally airborn. Mothers had more and more info on what to feed the babies and did so with focus. Of course, it would only do you good to eat as healthily as you can to get the best out of your genetic potential. In my case,my mother was 5'9'' and my dad was 5'101/2'' but I am 6ft. tall.

Actually there is some truth to the statement that what you eat determines how tall you are...only problem is you have to have been "eating right" since you were born, your infant years being critical. Generally speaking this is why the average American is bigger than the average Chinese person...plain and simple they eat better from birth. This has become more pronounced since the Seventies when the "health-food "craze became totally airborn. Mothers had more and more info on what to feed the babies and did so with focus. Of course, it would only do you good to eat as healthily as you can to get the best out of your genetic potential. In my case,my mother was 5'9'' and my dad was 5'101/2'' but I am 6ft. tall.


If i'm not mistaken, the average masai (sp) (as in warrior) is over 6 ft. tall. I hardly think african plains people's diet is as well rounded as the average americans. Sorta pokes a whole in that theory. :whistle:

Actually there is some truth to the statement that what you eat determines how tall you are...only problem is you have to have been "eating right" since you were born, your infant years being critical. Generally speaking this is why the average American is bigger than the average Chinese person...plain and simple they eat better from birth. This has become more pronounced since the Seventies when the "health-food "craze became totally airborn. Mothers had more and more info on what to feed the babies and did so with focus. Of course, it would only do you good to eat as healthily as you can to get the best out of your genetic potential. In my case,my mother was 5'9'' and my dad was 5'101/2'' but I am 6ft. tall.

How about a nice sustained dose of bovine growth hormone in our milk since birth? That might add an inch or 2!

How about a nice sustained dose of bovine growth hormone in our milk since birth? That might add an inch or 2!

:tucool: :nod: :tu:

How about a nice sustained dose of bovine growth hormone in our milk since birth? That might add an inch or 2!

It's funny, but I would almost need to agree with that. I drank a litre of milk every day from age 10 to 20. Fathers 5'8, mothers 5'7, and I'm 6'4.

But the mail man was 6'5....hmmmmmm....... :D

It's funny, but I would almost need to agree with that. I drank a litre of milk every day from age 10 to 20. Fathers 5'8, mothers 5'7, and I'm 6'4.

But the mail man was 6'5....hmmmmmm....... :D
You are a statistical anomaly. The average height of the child of a 5'8 father and a 5'7 mother is:

(5'8 + 5'7)/2 + 2.5" = 5'10"

The std. deviation is 2", so you're 3 std. deviations off. The chance that a person will be 3 standard deviations above the average is .15%, or 15 in every 10,000.

Consider yourself a freak ;)

You are a statistical anomaly. The average height of the child of a 5'8 father and a 5'7 mother is:

(5'8 + 5'7)/2 + 2.5" = 5'10"

The std. deviation is 2", so you're 3 std. deviations off. The chance that a person will be 3 standard deviations above the average is .15%, or 15 in every 10,000.

Consider yourself a freak ;)


Now your speaking my language!! (I did a stats minor during my microbiology degree). I mean, I knew I was "out there" but to know I'm an anomaly, that's something special! :D

You are a statistical anomaly. The average height of the child of a 5'8 father and a 5'7 mother is:

(5'8 + 5'7)/2 + 2.5" = 5'10"

The std. deviation is 2", so you're 3 std. deviations off. The chance that a person will be 3 standard deviations above the average is .15%, or 15 in every 10,000.

Consider yourself a freak ;)


My dad was 5'8" and my mom is 5'2". I'm 6'1.5"

But the mail man was 6'5....hmmmmmm....... :D

You sure it wasn't the milk, man?

You sure it wasn't the milk, man?

:lol:

Now we need a smilie doing a rimshot!!

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

The previous post about early childhood nutrition is quite correct. I'm not sure that's the sole or even primary explanation for short Asian people, but the rest is right on.

Kids are very particular in their nutritional needs, and shortages of important vitamins and minerals, essential amino acids, or very skewed macronutrient ratios can have serious and permanent developmental side effects, both physically and neurologically.

Look around the web, and you can easily find tons of info basically saying that a kid raised as a vegetarian will have serious problems unless very heavily supplemented. I personally believe raising a kid vegan borders on child abuse, since you don't have the ability to use eggs and milk to compensate for the lack of meat.

I work where I get to see a lot of very young kids with serious food allergies. The ones that have heavy allergies to wheat and dairy and so forth virtually always look incredibly unhealthy, with very pale skin and sunken eyes. I shudder thinking about what mental problems they may develop, or simply how much their intellectual potential may already have been stunted by lack of proper nutrition.

I believe that theory, doctors projected me to grow to 6'4", and I was on my way growing 3-4" every year consitantly until I hit 16-17. I was the ultimate junk food junky (prolly 4 liters of soda pop a day along with x-large pizzas that I ate myself nearly every day, you have to actually try to be this bad), so I ended up being only 6'2". I also notice that I get taller when I'm in shape, up to a whole inch is added. I guess from a strengthened core so you stand up straighter.

Genetics, genetics and again genetics! Take my brother and I. I have always been the good eater, milk, veg, meat, pasta, the whole lot! My brother literally lived on chocolate and coca-cola. He's 5'10", I'm 5'9". It was funny that we both took after our dad and we were very late growers. At age 15, they took x-rays of my hand. There's a gap in the wrist which fills with a certain piece of bone and at full adulthood, gap no more...Anyway, they were baffled because there was a huge gap there i.e. 12 years old bone-wise! Leaving high school, we were amongst the shortest. Coming back from uni, we were looking down at people who used to take the mickey (i.e. make fun of us for you Americans:-) ) Plus we've grown a whole lot bigger from going to the gym.

Anyway, to get the full height you possibly can...
Milk (Semi-skimmed, don't need the full fat)
Meat (I mean all the creatures in the world, cows,pigs, fish, chicken...)
Vegetables especially spinach and broccolli (don't ask why, just eat)
Decent amount of carbs

And...I know this is going to sound stupid....but play sports which extend your body i.e. volleyball, basketball or even olympic sports like parralel rings.

Just a note: Eating sweets or Mcdonalds won't inhibit your growth, it just won't help it much! So don't lock yourself in your house and away from all the crisps and junk food. Just eat sensibly!

Just do what Bobby did in that one episode of the Brady Bunch - go out in the back yard and hang from the swing set every day after school.

Of course height is genetics + diet. Little point in trying to argue otherwise, IMO. More debateable is how a great diet will affect height vs. a "not very good but not super-awful" diet, which is what most kids these days have. People are taller these days than they were just decades ago, and that's diet, but as long as you're eating a lot and getting some reasonable semblance of nutrition you'll probably hit most of your height potential, though I'd think that it could be tweaked with a great diet, which wouild include the typical good fats, proteins, lots of vegetables, fruit, etc.

In regards to that 2" it's not so easily determined that a doctor can look at you and say you'll hit such and such a height.

Some things are just not up to your control, either. My older brother is 1-2 " shorter than I am and my younger brother is 1-2" taller and through our teens we all had similar diets.

I believe that theory, doctors projected me to grow to 6'4", and I was on my way growing 3-4" every year consitantly until I hit 16-17. I was the ultimate junk food junky (prolly 4 liters of soda pop a day along with x-large pizzas that I ate myself nearly every day, you have to actually try to be this bad), so I ended up being only 6'2". I also notice that I get taller when I'm in shape, up to a whole inch is added. I guess from a strengthened core so you stand up straighter.

No offense but that's nonsense. People stop growing. Many of them at age 17. I find it hard to believe you shorted yourself 2 inches because of your diet. Furthermore, there is no way a doctor can give an accurate projection for height. An estimate, yes. Just how old were you when he made this "projection"? :confused: