Are kids bigger these days?

[Stayseeliz]

My oldest turned 11 week before last. He went to his well check yesterday and he's right above the 50% for height and 86% for weight but he's just solid. He's playing on a little league football team made up of 10-12 year olds and he looks VERY small compared to most of the other kids. I was talking to the dr about it yesterday and he said there are kids that could possibly be almost 13 on that team which is true but I found out yesterday that one of the biggest kids on the team is only 2 1/2 months older than my son. And his parents are tiny! Do you think it's just the type of kids that go out for football or are kids getting bigger?? I find this odd. Oh I will say that my oldest DD is 8 and less than 2 inches shorter and 7 lbs less than DS. I'm afraid she'll be taller than him! :)

[Parrothead]

Dd will be taller than I. I think successive generations are generally bigger than the last.

[vonfirmath]

Dd will be taller than I. I think successive generations are generally bigger than the last.

 

With adequate nutrition.

 

There are certainly areas of the world where folks are getting smaller.

[Dory]

The average height for women for my mom's generation was 5'6" whereas the average for my daughters generation is 5'8". So yes people are getting taller. I suspect that it has to do with the food that we eat and the hormone levels in things. The biggest kids around here are the ones that have been raised eating the 4-H steers that have been raised with extra hormones. Both my boys should be about the same height as my grandpa and great grandpa were and my daughter should be the same height as I am. So they should finish around the 6'4", 5'8" and 6'2" according to their toddler measurements.

[Crimson Wife]

I don't see an increase in kids' heights compared to when I was growing up (I'm very tail end of Gen X, almost Gen Y), but there has definitely been an increase in kids' weights. Back when I was a kid, there was usually 1 overweight child per class, or about 5%. Today, it seems that it's now about 20-33% (lower in the wealthier towns, higher in the less well-off ones). This article seems to support my observation that Americans have stopped getting taller.

[learningmama]

I don't see an increase in kids' heights compared to when I was growing up (I'm very tail end of Gen X, almost Gen Y), but there has definitely been an increase in kids' weights. Back when I was a kid, there was usually 1 overweight child per class, or about 5%. Today, it seems that it's now about 20-33% (lower in the wealthier towns, higher in the less well-off ones).r.

 

 

:iagree: I have come across several 9-11 year olds who are almost as big as me. It's a bit concerning. My kids are little compared to many of their peers. To me my kids are normal for being 6 and 8. They are no different from dh and I or their uncles at that age.

I think the American diet is really effecting many, many children.

My kids have always been about spot-on when it comes to clothes since the beginning (ie wear size 4T at age 4). But lately clothingmade for their ages are too big. Not so much with the length, but the width. I believe they are making the clothes bigger for the weight increases.

[klmama]

Perhaps people with tall genes tend to participate in sports more frequently. In both my extended family and my dh's there are tall people and short people, and the difference is significant. When siblings who eat the same things are of hugely different heights, it's obviously genes, not nutrition.

[LisaKinVA]

The average height for women for my mom's generation was 5'6" whereas the average for my daughters generation is 5'8". So yes people are getting taller. I suspect that it has to do with the food that we eat and the hormone levels in things. The biggest kids around here are the ones that have been raised eating the 4-H steers that have been raised with extra hormones. Both my boys should be about the same height as my grandpa and great grandpa were and my daughter should be the same height as I am. So they should finish around the 6'4", 5'8" and 6'2" according to their toddler measurements.

 

I've never heard this regarding average heights...definitely not what my pediatrician charts say, either. According to the blog 100 years ago...

 

I found recent

Centers for Disease Control data on average heights in the US. Since 2012 data are not yet available, I assumed that it is the same as it was in recent years. I also assumed that the data in the algebra book was correct for 1912.

 

On average, three-year-old children are much taller now than they were 100 years ago. Three-year-old boys are almost 4 inches taller; girls about 3 and 1/2 inches.

 

 

By age, 21, males now are, on average, more than 1 1/2 inches taller than they were a hundred years ago. In 1912 the average 21-year-old male was 68.25 inches (5 feet 8.25 inches) tall. Now the average male in the US is 69.9 inches (5 feet 9.9 inches) tall.

 

 

Females are about 1/2 inch taller now than they were a hundred years ago. In 1912 the average 21-year-old female was 63 .75 inches (5 feet, 3.75 inches) tall. Now the average 21-year-old female in the US is 64.3 inches (5 feet 4.3 inches) tall.

I'm about "average height" for women...5'4 3/4" (I round that to 5'5" ;)). My 6yo dd who is in the 75th percentile (according to pediatrician) will be about 5'8". My son who is the 50th percentile (according to pediatrician) will be about 5'10, of course he's a late bloomer, and hasn't hit his growth spurt yet -- so if he reverts to his previous growth curve, he'll be 6'2 and in the 85th percentile. My oldest dd who, until recently (dang late bloomer thing again), was solidly 45th percentile, which had her adult height at 5'4".

 

WRT kids' today...yes they are slightly taller (on average) than kids in my generation, but not what I'd call noticeably so. In our family, the huge variance in their size is genetic (kind of like how I have one dirty blonde, brown-eyed girl, one curly-blond with grey eyes, and one raven-haired, brown eyes...one average, one tall and one petite). Weight wise, they are definitely larger overall. I've had two kids who wore clothes larger than their age (they are my 75th-85th percentile kids), two that were spot-on for their age/size, and one who wears smaller clothes than her age.

Edited August 24, 2012 by LisaK in VA

[Dory]

I've never heard this regarding average heights...definitely not what my pediatrician charts say, either. According to the blog 100 years ago...

 

 

 

I was simply going off of what my doctor had said. Perhaps I misunderstood him.

[Stayseeliz]

I think it's interesting that DS isn't taller than he is since my husband is 6'3 and my brothers and both of our dads are right around 6 feet tall. But DH said he didn't hit his growth spurt until high school.

 

If diet plays a big part in being taller and bigger etc then that might explain why DS isn't bigger but not DD. We eat grass-fed organic meat and raw or non-homogenized milk and very little processed junk. I've always thought of DS as being a big kid but he really does look tiny compared to the other kids on his team. He's in 14/16 clothes though. I can't imagine what the other kids wear.

[TranquilMind]

My oldest turned 11 week before last. He went to his well check yesterday and he's right above the 50% for height and 86% for weight but he's just solid. He's playing on a little league football team made up of 10-12 year olds and he looks VERY small compared to most of the other kids. I was talking to the dr about it yesterday and he said there are kids that could possibly be almost 13 on that team which is true but I found out yesterday that one of the biggest kids on the team is only 2 1/2 months older than my son. And his parents are tiny! Do you think it's just the type of kids that go out for football or are kids getting bigger?? I find this odd. Oh I will say that my oldest DD is 8 and less than 2 inches shorter and 7 lbs less than DS. I'm afraid she'll be taller than him! :)

Yes, kids are bigger today. Fatter too, in many states. In fact, normal children look "skinny" compared to their oversized peers.

 

You can see it even on TV. If you watch random shows, there are a lot of fat teens today, something that was quite a rarity when I grew up, in the 70's.

[JumpyTheFrog]

This article seems to support my observation that Americans have stopped getting taller.

 

I've read elsewhere, that Americans stopped getting taller about 50 years ago, like this article says. I've also read that Western Europeans have not only caught up, but surpassed us in height by a few inches.

[TranquilMind]

I don't see an increase in kids' heights compared to when I was growing up (I'm very tail end of Gen X, almost Gen Y), but there has definitely been an increase in kids' weights. Back when I was a kid, there was usually 1 overweight child per class, or about 5%. Today, it seems that it's now about 20-33% (lower in the wealthier towns, higher in the less well-off ones). This article seems to support my observation that Americans have stopped getting taller.

 

 

I'm older than you, a late boomer.

 

In my high school, there were maybe two fat kids out of all grades (about 600 kids). Only 1 that I actually remember.

[Keniki]

I agree with the pp that said fatter. Even my dc have commented on the disgusting sights that are out in public these days.

 

Our oldest ds is the same height as my dad, and our dd is the same height as my mother. Our younger ds is 3" shorter than the older one was at the same age. He has a few years to grow, but it seems unlikely that he'll hit 6'.

[JumpyTheFrog]

While adult height hasn't changed, earlier puberty could make kids taller for their age than 50 years ago.

[Lovedtodeath]

that was quite a rarity when I grew up, in the 70's.

hmmm.... does this coincide with formula feeding becoming popular or what? For these changes to occur... what exactly changed in the American diet when? My diet as a kid wasn't any different from my kids, for example... my grandpa ate lard and cornbread for breakfast and a whole chicken with coke and icecream for a snack... another example.

[LisaKinVA]

I think it's interesting that DS isn't taller than he is since my husband is 6'3 and my brothers and both of our dads are right around 6 feet tall. But DH said he didn't hit his growth spurt until high school.

 

If diet plays a big part in being taller and bigger etc then that might explain why DS isn't bigger but not DD. We eat grass-fed organic meat and raw or non-homogenized milk and very little processed junk. I've always thought of DS as being a big kid but he really does look tiny compared to the other kids on his team. He's in 14/16 clothes though. I can't imagine what the other kids wear.

 

Growth spurts and puberty are funny things. My pediatrician was a little concerned about my oldest two "falling off their growth cuve" until she did the quick puberty-checks on my kids...while they have both "entered" puberty, there have been no real changes in their progress since last year. My mom and I didn't hit our growth spurts until we were 14. My older brother didn't hit his until 14...which is on the late-side of normal. So my kids went from being tall/average to being average/short. My oldest turns 13 next week, he's 5' tall (exactly), and grew 1 inch last year. My oldest dd still wears a size 10, and also grew 1 inch last year. However, their feet are still growing (also typical in my family...feet grow first). Oldest wears a size 10. DD wears a size 5. I wore a size 7 in 7th grade, and a size 8.5 at 16. I expect DS's foot to settle in around a size 12 (which is a relief...because my tallest nephew wears a size 15!!)

[Stayseeliz]

I will admit that the "bigger" kids on the team aren't just "bigger". They are fatter really. They have bellies. I noticed that several of the cheerleaders do too.

 

My kids stats are interesting. They've all had their well checks in the last couple of weeks.

 

DS (just turned 11)- 86% for weight and 54% for height

DD1 (8 1/2)-96% for weight and 98% for height

DD2 (almost 5)-88% for weight and 86% for height

DD3 (17 months)-51% for weight and 75% for height

 

DH and I both struggle with our weight. I am 5'6 and need to lose about 20 lbs even though I exercise and eat right. I'm still nursing which makes it hard for me to lose weight. DH is very big, broad shouldered, etc. Our kids are all "solid" but healthy. Since weight issues run in both sides of our family we've always worked double time to keep them fit.

 

I was told that both my middle girls would probably be close to 6 feet tall. My SIL's are both close to that height even though all the other women in the family are 5'6 or 5'8ish.

[Paige]

I was in the elementary school this week and was shocked at how big some kids are. Many of these 5th grade girls are significantly bigger than me in height (I'm 5'2 if I stretch) and weight. I think I hit my final growth spurt around 9th grade, so I would have been much smaller than I am now in 5th grade. I remember being the smallest in my class, but I was not that much smaller. The other girls were close enough in size that I could sort of borrow clothes from my friends without looking ridiculous. I would have remembered if the girls had towering over me. I also remember I had the biggest chest in my class in 5th grade. My chest was small, but I was the one of the only ones who had one that early so it was the biggest by comparison. I was one of the oldest in the class. I'd say that most of those 5th graders I saw this week have a bigger chest than me already- by far. I don't know why the kids are so big. Maybe genes for being taller and heavier are dominant.

[Mrs Mungo]

My eldest dd is taller than me or my dh. However, all of my kids are skinny and my younger two are shorter than average. So, no, I don't think kids are just bigger these days.

[Plucky]

I think they are getting bigger. My kids are all taller than me, but then I was the short one in my family with sister and cousins near or even over 6 ft.

[LaxMom]

hmmm.... does this coincide with formula feeding becoming popular or what? For these changes to occur... what exactly changed in the American diet when? My diet as a kid wasn't any different from my kids, for example... my grandpa ate lard and cornbread for breakfast and a whole chicken with coke and icecream for a snack... another example.

 

I doubt it. In 1971, my mother was advised by my pediatrician that breastfeeding was unhealthy and I should be fed formula of powdered skim milk and Karo syrup. :ack2:

 

HFCS wasn't in everything when we were kids. I don't know if rBGH and other livestock hormones were used then. Even if the were, serving sizes increasing would mean that personal intake of all nutrients and unintended additives would also increase... It's all very interesting.

 

My girls are taller and thin. My boys are built like my dad, who topped out at 5'8", and 145 lbs.

[redsquirrel]

I think it is really difficult to make any generalization based on what we see as individuals.

 

I am only 5' tall. My husband is 5' 10". My boys are both in the 5% of height and weight. I have lots of friends who are petite, so are their kids.

[Laura Corin]

My kids look really skinny these days, but I remember my brothers having just as little flesh on their bones, and I'm sure that was normal.

 

I don't think that height is changing that much these days. At the time of the First World War, there was an average height difference of almost a foot between officers and men in the British army, due to malnourishment. I think that most people in the West now reach our height potential.

 

FWIW, I saw people in China put on up to a foot in height between generations (between 1985 and 2004) due to good nutrition. It happens fast, then stabilises, I think.

 

Laura

[Ali in OR]

In general, I would agree that kids are getting bigger around. I think my kids pretty much have average builds, or what would have been average builds in the 70's, but I have to find slim styles for them and we are forever grateful that they invented those adjustable waistbands with hidden elastic! We cannot buy any pull-on style pants or shorts at Target--the waists are just huge. My 9 yo was having fun at Target pulling shorts on over her own pair early this summer and she finally determined that the size 4 fit her waist (but of course were a bit short).

 

I also think the world of sports is a bit different. That same 9 yo is playing club soccer this year. There is a range of sizes on her team, but everyone seems like a pretty much normal size. My kid is supposedly about 75% in height (I think about 55" now). Then we go to these tournaments and end up playing other teams of all 9 yo girls and some are just massive--more like my size. 9 yo girls who are over 5 feet tall, maybe 125 pounds, and clearly pretty far along in puberty??? But it's a little skewed because coaches seek kids who are unusually tall, and if you come from a large enough metro area, I guess you can find enough to fill a team.

[Word Nerd]

The average height for women for my mom's generation was 5'6" whereas the average for my daughters generation is 5'8".

 

Where did this stat come from? That doesn't sound right. And not just because it would mean I'm even shorter than the norm than I thought. ;) (I'm 5'2".)

Edited August 24, 2012 by WordGirl

[Teachin'Mine]

I agree with the pp that said fatter. Even my dc have commented on the disgusting sights that are out in public these days.

 

Our oldest ds is the same height as my dad, and our dd is the same height as my mother. Our younger ds is 3" shorter than the older one was at the same age. He has a few years to grow, but it seems unlikely that he'll hit 6'.

 

 

No comment I can think of that won't get me banned. Just incredibly sad.

[Katy]

hmmm.... does this coincide with formula feeding becoming popular or what? For these changes to occur... what exactly changed in the American diet when? My diet as a kid wasn't any different from my kids, for example... my grandpa ate lard and cornbread for breakfast and a whole chicken with coke and icecream for a snack... another example.

 

What changed is corn syrup and convenience food loaded with chemicals that make things with no nutrition taste better than real foods. Kids end up hungry for real food, and eating empty calories.

 

Interestingly, I read somewhere that the rise of corn syrup consumption exactly parallels the rise of autism.

[katilac]

I agree with the pp that said fatter. Even my dc have commented on the disgusting sights that are out in public these days.

 

Our oldest ds is the same height as my dad, and our dd is the same height as my mother. Our younger ds is 3" shorter than the older one was at the same age. He has a few years to grow, but it seems unlikely that he'll hit 6'.

 

That's not very kind.

[krisperry]

My kids are big (except one) but we have the genes for that. I agree that I can't make a blanket statement based on just what I see.

 

The 11 year old boy in my house is 5'5'' and 125 lbs. His projected height between 6'5'' and 6'6''.

[Jennifer in MI]

My big boys:

 

16: 6'2". 185 pounds

14: 6', 163

12: 5'7", ?????

 

Raised on organic foods. Mostly. I was also raised on organic foods. Meats veggies, eggs, milk, etc all locally grown. Dh not so much. All processed yuckiness.

 

But I also have a dd, who at 6, weighs 36 pounds and is just tiny.

[Lovedtodeath]

My ten year old daughter is the same height and weight I was at 14.