Everyone knows that our physical attributes are inherited from our parents. One of those is our height. Needless to say, it’s our genes that dictate how tall we are going to be.
It’s important to note, however, that your mom and dad are not the only ones responsible for your stature. This is why your future child could be taller than you or your soon-to-be spouse. Height is definitely a complicated matter!
So, can short parents have a tall child? Yes, it is very much possible for short parents to have a tall child. This is most especially true if the child has family members that are taller than his or her parents. Besides, it’s not just the genes from the parents that will determine the height of the child, but some other factors as well.
Worry not if you are not happy with your height, and you’re afraid that the child you will bring into this world sooner or later would also be unhappy with his or her stature.
Just like what’s mentioned above, the genes are not the only factors that determine a person’s height.
So, in other words, your future child could grow taller than you! Don’t stop reading now if you would like to know some of the reasons why.
Genetics is a Major Role Player
Skin color, eye color, hair color and texture, dominant hand, build — these are just some of the physical attributes that parents can pass to their children.
As a matter of fact, scientists say that behavior and personality are genetic traits that can be inherited, too.
It goes without saying that a person’s height is also inherited from his or her parents. That is why someone who is tall usually has tall parents, and someone who is short usually has short parents.
However, it’s not all the time that the genes coming from both parents are the only ones responsible for the height of the child.
Some parents may be short, but they could have tall genes that did not appear in them but made their presence known in their relatives. In this case, a tall stature is referred to as a recessive trait.
This recessive trait that may be passed by parents to their children may become activated, and this could cause their kids to become tall, just like some of their other relatives who are blessed with impressive statures.
Breaking the Law of Recessive Traits
If you would like to prove that recessive traits can become activated, all you have to do is log on the web.
That’s because there are tons of articles and photos in cyberspace that will show you that it is very much possible for kids to be taller or shorter than their parents.
Take, for example, some NBA players with parents who are shorter than them. A lot of basketball fanatics admire the likes of Michael Jordan, Jeremy Lin, Wilt Chamberlain, Russell Westbrook, and Gordon Hayward because of their superb basketball skills.
However, they are also esteemed because of their height. However, you will surely be surprised to know that these very tall professional athletes have parents that are relatively short.
Similarly, it is very much possible for a short parent, such as someone who is diagnosed with dwarfism, to have a child with a normal height.
According to the advocacy group Little People of America or LPA, a person with dwarfism has a normal height gene, too, which he or she could pass to the child. Likewise, parents who have normal height may have kids with dwarfism.
The Genes are Not Everything
So far, it’s quite evident that the genes are an important role player in determining the height of a child.
In other words, your height is very much due to what your parents gave you. However, there are also recessive traits that are a part of the overall equation.
Such is proven by the examples we mentioned above, in particular, NBA players with short parents and little people with children having normal or average height.
However, scientists say that genetics is not the only one that is responsible for your height. Yes, your physical attributes can definitely come from your parents, but if truth be told, there are factors that can cause alterations in them.
It goes without saying that there is a possibility to defy nature to some extent, such as being taller than your mom and dad.
Take for example your height: according to the experts, your stature is determined by 60% to 80% of your genes. Meaning to say, your height is not completely determined by what you acquired from your parents.
The remaining 20% to 40% is due to some other factors, which only means that it is very much possible to go against what genetics would like to dictate. This is another reason why you may be tall, even if your parents are short.
Factors That Can Affect Your Stature
Everyone knows that it’s during puberty when growth spurts tend to take place.
During this part of a person’s life, it is very important for him or her to obtain certain types of nutrients that can help to maximize his or her height gain, even to the point of going beyond what the genes coming from the parents would allow.
Again, just like what’s mentioned earlier, only up to 80% of a person’s height is determined by his or her genes.
Some of the nutrients that are known to promote superb height increase include calcium as well as those that help to absorb calcium much better, such as potassium, magnesium, and vitamin D.
Many people are aware of the fact that protein is important for building and strengthening the muscles. However, not a lot of them know that it’s also essential for making the bones grow longer and stronger.
Aside from obtaining certain nutrients from the diet, having plenty of physical activities can also help to encourage height increase during puberty.
Scientists agree that high-impact exercises are the best ones for those who would like to grow taller while the bones are still in their developmental stages.
It’s Never Too Late to be Taller
Even though it’s true that growth spurts happen during puberty, it doesn’t mean that height increase should stop at a certain age.
That’s because the pituitary gland in your brain does not really stop its growth hormone production, although age and a few other factors may cause the gland to produce fewer hormones.
Needless to say, you may still grow taller even if you’re way past puberty.
On the web, you can easily come across success stories coming from people who are in their 20’s, 30’s and even 40’s who dreamed of adding a few inches to their height.
If truth be told, there are so many things that you can do in order to grow taller, especially if your parents are short.
Some of the things that are known to lead to success include having healthy eating habits and doing certain exercises such as stretching, hanging, yoga, and pilates.
However, it’s important to note that these exercises should be carried out on a regular basis in order for you to see dramatic results as well as keep them intact.
The Takeaway
Again, it is very much possible for short parents to have a tall child. Aside from the genes, there are a few other things that can determine the height of the child.
So don’t you worry about probably being adopted if you are taller than your parents, or fear that your child could end up short because you are not blessed with enough inches.
Related Questions
Is height inherited from the mother or father?
Height is inherited from both parents, and sometimes even grandparents as well as family members who are lower in the family tree.
Is the son always taller than the mother?
This is not always true, but it’s important for the mother to have plenty of tall genes in her as women generally have more short genes than men.
What’s Next?
If you are looking for my story and want to know how I got taller, I recommend checking the my article:
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