Expert: Sophia Jane Carter - 1/30/2008

Question
I'm a young man,I live in Cameroon(Africa),will be 21 in May,I'm like 1.83m(like 6ft) tall.My dad was like 1.86m(6.2ft).
I want to know what I could possibly do to grow a little taller.What foods would enhance growth,what nutrients I need,what habits,what practices and a whole lot of stuff I could do.

Answer
Thanks for the question, Bill.  At 6 feet tall you're already above average.  Height is determined by two factors:  genes and nutrition.  The effects of nutrition are usually felt during critical periods of growth.  At 20 years of age, you've probably passed those critical periods and it it is highly unlikely that any changes to your diet can improve your height.  

I have more bad news, Bill:  height is 90% heritable, which means that the height of you parents (especially the mother if you're a male) plays a far bigger role in determining how tall you'll be than even the best of diets. A sure sign that you've reached your maximum natural height is to have a doctor examine your femur and phalanges; if these bones have fused, you're not going to get taller except for rare circumstances.  Sorry.  But look on the bright side: you are taller than the world average.  There are many  5'10'' men who would pay dearly for that extra 2 inches.  :-)