Last updated on November 7, 2024
Question:
Why do various websites, as well as doctor growth charts, say that a male will stop growing by the time he is 20? Should I stick with the Tanner stage information of a male typically ceasing to grow by the time he is 17?
Answer:
The vast majority of males do stop growing by 20, but there are exceptions. There are cases of men still growing while in their twenties. I could not find any statistics on it, but I suspect that it is less than 1% of the population.
Dr. Tanner used a narrower cut-off, aiming to cover 95% of all children. That leaves 5% outside of the ranges he gave. [Variations in the Pattern of Pubertal Changes in Boys].
Question:
So what this means is that 95% of all males stop growing by age 17?
Answer:
The range of 15 to 20 covers 95% of all males. If you average all males, you get the age of 17 for reaching stage 5, which is the point when you stop growing in height.