Expert: Samantha Mattingly - 2/19/2008

Question
Hi

I'm almost eighteen years old (at the end of April). Have I finished all my growing by now, or will my body continue to change into my twenties? I used to have eating problems, none more pronounced than when I was 15/16 whereby I was slightly underweight for almost a year. I still feel as though I'm carrying so called 'baby fat' expecially around my face, and I can't tell whether my breasts are growing or not - they've been virtually the same size since I was twelve!
I guess the baseline of my question is, could my eating problems have put my growing on hold, and may it pick up again in the next few years? I'm not short, I'm almost 5"5 which is taller than my mother and both my grandmothers, but my body doesn't feel or look developed. I may exageratte slightly because it is my body and I fully aware of every inch of it, but I can see that my body looks more childlike than womanly. In all fairness my mother isn't the most curvaceous woman in the world, but she and my grandmothers all had larger breasts than I have. I wouldn't think my eating problems would have done permanent damage to my body, because I had medicals and was assured that my health was very much in tact.

Thanks

Answer
Dear Lauren,

Yes, you should about have stopped growing by now, but sometimes growth will continue until you are 19.  Yes, eating problems can put your body on hold for a few years, maybe just two years behind. Genes do play a big role, but sometimes some other relative's genes can overrule, and lead to your small breasts.  Do you have an ancestor who had small breasts, or another relative who has them?  If not, then you probably aren't quite finished growing yet, but even so, there is a posibility that you will just have small breasts.  And that is a good thing to me because I am stuck with big breasts, and I absolutely hate them LOL.  Hang in there Lauren.  And thanks for the great question!