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Original poster

Where have all these giant children come from?

218 replies

CredulousThickos · 31/08/2017 20:30

And by children I mainly mean young teens.

I am a short arse at five foot two and a half. But growing up I was about average among my peers, with maybe one or two who were 'tall', which would still be under six foot.

My teens are 13 and 15 and roughly my height. The vast majority of their mates are MASSIVE. Two of DD's friends are over six foot, the rest shorter but still much taller than DD, and all but one of DS's circle are. He is actually the shortest kid in his year.

My much younger brother is 6'4 (he's 23), whereas all three of us sisters (early to late 30s) are my height or shorter. Same parents, btw, so not that.

Is this just confirmation bias or are the next generation taller in general?

I was used to being on the lower side of average but now I feel like a proper short arse.

Is it me or has anyone else noticed this epidemic of height?

OP posts:
formerbabe · 31/08/2017 21:54

I've noticed the same thing op. I'm 5'2 with size 4/5 feet. I was pretty average at school...My 9 year old ds has size 4 feet and comes up to my shoulder. My teenage nieces and nephews tower over me! No idea why! I know people say nutrition but I was a very well fed child as were my fellow school friends (private school with well off parents) so none of us were deprived. I don't know why children nowadays are so tall?

AdaColeman · 31/08/2017 21:55

I think a lot of it is nutrition.

There is little doubt that people born in UK during the 30s (Depression) 40s (War rationing) and 50s (post war shortages) were restricted to a very limited diet, short on protein.

The babies they produced were small, four or five pounds was not an unusual weight. Gradually by the late 60s birth wieght started to increase, though nine and ten pound babies were still thought of as large.

You can see the trend in some families with children across a few years. eg. A man born in 1945 is much shorter than his sister born in 1955, as their mother was better fed by then.

The generation we have now have never gone without food, and their parents, born in the 1980s probably, have likewise never gone without food.

rabbitcakes · 31/08/2017 21:55

I measured my 18month old today. 98th centile for height/90th for weight.

She's already over half my height. Can't wait until she can reach stuff in the supermarket for me 😂

formerbabe · 31/08/2017 21:55

*I blame the lack of parents smoking!!"

Maybe that's it! My parents were practically chainsmokers in the 80s!

hiccupgirl · 31/08/2017 21:55

Credulous that half inch is very important isn't it Grin though it does mean petite ranges are too short for me.

Ttbb · 31/08/2017 21:55

Better living standards? Migration from countries with taller population. More inter class marriage? It dies seem to depend somewhat on where you live, I've noticed a lot of towns full of short, fat people (mine being one of them). In London on the other hand people tend to be quite tall.

Jecan · 31/08/2017 21:57

We are a family of tall people - I imagine at 5ft 9 that I'll be the smallest by the time dc3 is an adult. Dc2 is already 6ft 2 & hes about to turn 13!
Was amused at someone asking if we had thought of a caravan holiday Smile where would all the long legs go I asked her!

Anatidae · 31/08/2017 21:57

The generation we have now have never gone without food, and their parents, born in the 1980s probably, have likewise never gone without food.

Yes. And the effect of poor nutrition in the mother can actually be passed on to the foetus in the womb, so even if they always have good nutrition they are still likely to have worse health and produce a low birthweight baby, it's an epigenetic mechanism. Data from the Dutch famine during the war is a prime example.

YellowLawn · 31/08/2017 21:58

In London on the other hand people tend to be quite tall

that's evolution, only people who can breathe on a packed tube survive Wink

goose1964 · 31/08/2017 21:58

My sons are 6.5 and 6.2, and DDs youngest seems to be following suit. It's part genetics, my dad is 6.2 when most men his age are a lot shorter, and part good diet during puberty

MelsMam · 31/08/2017 22:00

According to my DC's red book, they'll 6.1 and 6.4 respectively. DH and I are both just 6ft. I put it down to genetics and better diet and medical care.

Lots of us are born via C-section and fed on the milk of a far larger mammal. We also have far superior medical than our ancestors. That's what it mainly boils down to.

squishysquirmy · 31/08/2017 22:00

cantkeepawayforever that's a very interesting point. Sad for your poor grandmother - I often take for granted how low infant mortality is now in the UK, but of course it wasn't always so.

squishysquirmy · 31/08/2017 22:01

The Dutch are tall because they live below sea level. Evolution.

Speckledtulip · 31/08/2017 22:02

I'm 5'1.5" (that .5 is very important!) and as a teacher, I spend my life looking up at teenage boys.

ILovePandas · 31/08/2017 22:04

Love this thread! DS 11 is already 5'8 (taller than me) with size 9.5 feet and his tallest school friends come up to his shoulder... good to know there are plenty of giants out there

lalaloopyhead · 31/08/2017 22:05

I am 5ft 3 (on a good day) and I was a pretty average height at school with a very average size 5 shoe. My dd are teens and already 5ft 10 and size 7 shoe and fairly average height amongst their friends.

I think it is down must be down to better nutrition, I blame all those findus crispy pancakes I was fed.

TresDesolee · 31/08/2017 22:05

Bloody love Mumsnet. This has been bugging me all summer and in one thread i reckon we've probably worked it out. And by that I mean we've reached a firm consensus that it's the growth hormones in the meat.

I knew about the maternal infant nutrition thing but had forgotten it. And makes so much sense given that my parents were wartime babies, and their parents were 1910s/1920s. Smoking also - hadn't occurred to me but must be significant

WhooooAmI24601 · 31/08/2017 22:05

DS1 is tall but slim. He's 11 and wears a size 8 shoe, wears small mens clothes and is taller than I am (I'm 5 foot 7). He was on the 97th centile from the moment he was born for height and I think he'll likely stay there. His Dad is 6 foot 5 so he's probably going to be about that.

DS2 is tall, too, but has DH's broad shoulders. He was on the 98th centile as a newborn and doesn't look likely to change, either. He's slim like DS1, so clothes shopping is a pain because we have to buy everything for both of them with elasticated waists as their hips are so slim.

I think for most DCs they're having better nutrition, better exercise and better medical care than any generation before them; mine do swimming, yoga, judo, cricket, football, rugby and horse riding, plus they come bike riding and running with me and the dog a few times a week. It's no wonder they're huge when they lead the lives they do.

HaudYerWheeshtBawbag · 31/08/2017 22:06

All my friends are the same high and have been since we were teens and even my adult friend are rightly the same size as myself 5ft6

Ds2 seems to be the exception of the rules he turned 8 last month and is in age 11-12 if bigger clothes. He's a head and shoulders above his peers

Grilledaubergines · 31/08/2017 22:06

Please don't refer to tall people as giants. Your implying being tall is abnormal. Please don't refer to teens and young adults, who have enough complexes and insecurities about appearance by using their size as their descriptor. In the same way that calling people "skinny" or "fat" is not on, neither is referring to people as "giants".

A persons height or frame is determined by genes. It's not that difficult to understand.

Atenco · 31/08/2017 22:08

"Isn't it down to better nutrition?"

I think that is a factor, but the effect is a bit extreme, isn't it? Or maybe people are getting back to the height they should have been, genetically.

VinoTime · 31/08/2017 22:09

Evolution, innit? Have you ever seen suits of armour from way back when? People were tiny!

The80sweregreat · 31/08/2017 22:11

My son is 6 3 in old money.
He is a 'gentle giant' but looks imposing.
I know what you mean, but its the way it is, in his case!

Anatidae · 31/08/2017 22:12

Yeah, atenco

Height genetics are complex (for the normal range and excluding specific growth disorders.) it's not a single gene, it's several. And each of them interacts with each other, your general genetic background and your environment (i.e. Nutritional status, medical issues etc.) its complex.

So the potential is set by your genetics and the actual is that plus what happens to you. A child who is severely ill during growth periods may not teach the height of one who is healthy, even if they were genetically identical twins.

Orangebird69 · 31/08/2017 22:13

Quite aubergines... I'm 6'2. DH in 6'4. Ds has been off the centiles for length since 5mo. We're not 'giant'. Just tall. There'd be right-ons all over my post if I called short people 'midgets' or similar.