Last updated on August 20, 2022
Question:
Hi,
I’m 15 years old, and in Tanner Stage 4.5-4.7 according to the calculator. Using your ‘KGH’ method for adult height, it says that I will be somewhere between 182-183 cm when I am done growing (my current height is 181 cm, my father is 183 cm, my mother is 167 cm).
My concern is in regards to that calculation: I weigh 97 kg. My obesity since childhood is a result of multiple health issues (insulin resistance, pre-diabetes), and as a child, I wasn’t unhealthy. For most, if not all of my teenage years, I have exercised frequently and eaten healthily with a fair amount of sleep. The KGH method mentions ‘nutrition’ and that makes me wonder: if I have taken care of myself despite being overweight, will that affect my final adult height more than a healthier weight child who doesn’t really put much effort into their diet/lifestyle?
Answer:
The KGH method uses your weight to guess your progress in development. It isn’t accurate, but for estimating your final adult height, it does help fine-tune the final estimate. The idea is that a lightweight boy hasn’t made much progress in development when compared to a heavier boy.
Type 1 diabetes is known to impact growth and development if it is not carefully regulated.
Having a healthy lifestyle tends to maximize your growth potential. However, I don’t know of a study that is able to measure how much of an impact that it is able to make.