Every once in a while a thought pops into my head, “Why is it we stop getting taller when we hit adulthood?” This basic question seems so simple but is still so complex. From the day we are born until after puberty it seems as though we can’t buy enough clothes to fit our ever-growing body.
After doing some digging, I found that the height of our bodies is directly proportional to our skeletal structure. Makes sense right? The longer the bones the taller we get! The reason that we stop getting taller is because of the growth plates inside our bones. Every bone in our body has a cellular gap at the end of the bone. This gap is where the cells are generated to promote growth. Once the gap/growth plate is filled the bones have nowhere else to grow.
Genetically, every person has a predisposition growth gap in their bones. Which is why tall children generally have tall parents. So I guess the real question is… How do I make my growth plate bigger?
Well, you cant. Despite a large number of short people trying crazy ways to get taller; it is impossible to keep them open longer than genetics call for. However, there are surgeries where they can cut your bones, pull them apart, and make them grow back together longer. Who would have thought?
