Got taller in my old age?

[tmm99]

I hadn't measured myself in a long time. When I was in my 20's, I was 164cm, and that's what I always said (5' 4.5"). When I was at a doctor's office a couple of years ago, they measured me and they said I was 5' 5" (165cm) but I brushed it off. DH said when he went to a specialist office the other day, they measured him and he was taller too. So we measured ourselves and we're in fact taller - the same height as the height measured at our doctor's offices. We're in our early and late 50's.

What's up??

Is it possible to gain height past your 30's?
Has anybody else experienced this?

 

[CaptTom]

I've heard that time of day makes a difference. You tend to spread out a bit overnight, and gravity does it's thing over the course of the day. Seems maybe half an inch is well within the expected range.

 

[tmm99]

I've heard that time of day makes a difference. You tend to spread out a bit overnight, and gravity does it's thing over the course of the day. Seems maybe half an inch is well within the expected range.

Ah, that could very well be it. We'll check again in the evening. Thanks.

 

[Koogie]

Or.... have you and DH been to space recently ?......

astronauts-taller-space-spines
https://www.space.com/19116-astronauts-taller-space-spines.html

 

[W2R]

I haven't had my height measured in several decades. At the doctor's office, they measure my weight but just ask me what my height is.

I'd love to be just a little bit taller! I'm 5' 8.9" but 5'9" would be so much simpler to communicate and put on forms and so on.

 

[razztazz]

What was the weather like? You'll be taller in a low pressure system and shorter in high pressure. Also, where were these measurements taken? Closer to the equator will result in slight shortness due to greater centrifugal force. If measured at the poles, earth's rotation is slower, less centrifugal force, hence slightly taller. All of which is bullshot

The past couple years I have been expecting to be getting lower numbers when the doctor's office checks my height but so far I am just as tall now as I was at 18.

Most people aren't "on their feet all day" like people in recent centuries. e.g. Farmers, factory workers, street vendors etc. Maybe that tendency towards "age related-compression" is less pronounced these days?

 

[Texas Proud]

Are you wearing shoes? They seem to measure me when I am wearing shoes and that could easily make a 1 cm difference....

 

[Winemaker]

I'm 5 foot 17 inches!

 

[tmm99]

Are you wearing shoes? They seem to measure me when I am wearing shoes and that could easily make a 1 cm difference....

Nope, just bare feet with no socks on.

 

[imoldernu]

Easy to miss by an inch....
Who does the measuring? nurse? doctor, self? and how important is it to the measurer.

on the office scale? or against the wall?
facing forward or back
head forward, back?
horizontal bar pressed down, or just touching?

Same day... Dr. office 5'9", half hour later in emergency room 5'10"

and:
https://www.quora.com/Why-is-my-height-shorter-at-the-Dr%E2%80%99s-office

 

[Nemo2]

I'd attribute it to inflation.

 

[Texas Proud]

Easy to miss by an inch....
Who does the measuring? nurse? doctor, self? and how important is it to the measurer.

on the office scale? or against the wall?
facing forward or back
head forward, back?
horizontal bar pressed down, or just touching?

Same day... Dr. office 5'9", half hour later in emergency room 5'10"

and:
https://www.quora.com/Why-is-my-height-shorter-at-the-Dr’s-office

Yea, was not thinking about the person who is taking the measurement and what they are using to take it... I got a measurement of 5' 10" at my doc.... I have been 5' 9' for many years and probably still am ....

 

[CaptTom]

I haven't had my height measured in several decades. At the doctor's office, they measure my weight but just ask me what my height is.

I'd love to be just a little bit taller! I'm 5' 8.9" but 5'9" would be so much simpler to communicate and put on forms and so on.

I know! The doctor tells me my BMI and I try to explain that I'm not overweight, I'm underheight.

I just need to put on a couple more inches and I'll be at my target BMI.

 

[mountainsoft]

Most people lose a bit of height as they age. I've personally lost almost half an inch over the last 20 years.

If you're taller now I would suspect either the original measurements were wrong, or the new ones are wrong. But I suppose anything is possible. Have you measured yourselves to see how your own measurements compare to the latest readings?

Have you lost weight or exercise regularly? Maybe your posture has improved making you appear taller?

Or, maybe you've found the fountain of height?

 

[DayDreaming]

Maybe your posture is better now?

 

[grasshopper]

My Grandfather always said about his brother," He was a tall man when he stood on his money."

My GP dropped a zero off my height and my BMI went off the charts.

 

[tmm99]

I use to have a nice curve to my spine and there’s hardly any now. Did that make me taller?

 

[tmm99]

We used a right angle set square to measure against the wall and both our measurements matched the measurements at the doctors office. Maybe we grew in our 30’s and didn’t know it.

 

[eytonxav]

Hard to imagine how one can overcome many years of gravity, unless you can spend most of your time hanging from the rafters like a bat

 

[Nick12]

My height is still the same however since I improved my health working out in the gym losing weight and lowering my HDL/LDL numbers, my shoe size went from a size 8 1/2 to a size 8!

 

[tmm99]

My height is still the same however since I improved my health working out in the gym losing weight and lowering my HDL/LDL numbers, my shoe size went from a size 8 1/2 to a size 8!

Something similar happens with my bra sizes.

 

[tmm99]

I talked to my mom and she said her height increased when she was in her late 20's. Maybe the same thing happened to me but I just didn't know it.

 

[braumeister]

All I know is that I'm too short for my weight.

But seriously, I got curious last year when I had an odd height measurement at a medical appointment, so I checked it myself at home. There was ¾" difference between first thing in the morning and last thing in the evening. That's about what I expected.

 

[rick55]

I think im 6’ 12”, but im an optimist...

 

[MuirWannabe]

Love thy neighbor. And if he happens to be tall, debonair and devastating, it will be that much easier. Mae West