How tall will I grow?
Your adult height depends mainly on your genes, which account for about 80 percent of height differences between people. Nutrition, health and sleep during childhood also matter.
A common way to estimate a child's adult height is the mid-parental height method. Add the heights of both parents. For boys, add 13 centimeters, and for girls, subtract 13 centimeters, then divide by two. Most children end up within about 10 centimeters of this estimate.
Children grow fastest in the first two years of life and again during puberty, in a growth spurt. Girls usually stop growing around ages 14 to 16, and boys around 16 to 18. Growth happens at growth plates near the ends of long bones. Once these close after puberty, height increases stop.
Factors you can influence
Eating a balanced diet with enough protein, calcium and vitamins, getting good sleep and staying active help children reach their full height potential. Doctors can check for medical conditions if a child grows unusually slowly. Average heights have risen in many countries over the past century as nutrition improved.
Did You Know?
People are slightly taller in the morning than at night, by about 1 centimeter, because the discs in the spine compress during the day.
This answer is general information, not medical advice. For a personal health question, talk to a doctor.