Can you become shorter

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Recent Blog Articles. Why is topical vitamin C important for skin health? Preventing preeclampsia may be as simple as taking an aspirin. Caring for an aging parent? Tips for enjoying holiday meals. Unfortunately, height can be added to this list. In fact, we can begin shrinking as early as our 30s, according to some research. Men can gradually lose an inch between the ages of 30 to 70, and women can lose about two inches. Why do we shrink as we age? Reynolds Institute on Aging, says that we can shrink for several different reasons.

This is a condition called sarcopenia. Sarcopenia is characterized by a decrease in muscle mass, which leads to weakness and frailty and also a decrease in height. Brothers and sisters can look very different even though you have the same parents.

Even identical twins can end up being different heights! You're too short to ride the rides you want to ride at an amusement park. This one is upsetting. You're all ready to board the super-fast roller coaster and the ride operator says you're too small.

Sometimes, you will be allowed to ride with an adult, so try to have one handy. You still have to use a booster seat in the car. Though you haven't used a car seat for a long time, older kids are supposed to use a booster seat until they are 4-feetinches tall.

The seats are meant to position the seat belt properly in case of a crash. If your friends don't have to use one and you do, you might feel funny about it.

On the plus side, sitting higher makes it easier to see and might help if you get carsick and need to keep looking out the window. You're a girl who's taller than the boys. This can make a girl feel awkward, especially when it comes time to be paired up, like at a school dance. Eventually, this evens out, but it takes a little while because many girls have their growth spurts before the boys do. Someone teases you about being too tall or too short.

This kind of teasing is the worst. You can't change your height, so what are you supposed to do? As with most teasing, try not to let it bother you. Tell a teacher, parent, or another adult if it's bothering you and the person won't stop.

If you are still worried about your height, talk to your parents and your doctor. Most kids don't have a growth problem that needs help from a doctor, but it's always OK to ask if you're concerned. So for most kids, it seems like there's not much to do but wait to see how it all turns out. But you can do something right now: Eat healthy and take care of yourself. If you get the nutrition, sleep, and exercise you need, you're likely to reach your maximum potential height.