Seemingly, height and weight go in conjunction with one another, which undoubtedly leaves some people wondering whether or not losing weight makes you taller.
On the other hand, some also question whether you get shorter from gaining weight, too. This simple answer: it is all dependent on the amount of weight you lose.
For instance, one to two pounds lost isn’t going to make much of a difference to your height.
Losing large amounts of weight allows you to become a little bit taller, while you can appear shorter if you have gained weight.
Likewise, even if you’ve lost a little bit of weight, sometimes, it can make you occur taller.
With this in mind, this article is going to explore the science behind the correlation between height and weight and whether or not you’re truly becoming taller.
The Illusion Of Getting Taller With Weight Loss
If you intend on shedding a couple of pounds, while you may not grow taller, this doesn’t mean you won’t appear taller.
Regular exercise provides an improved posture. Rather than slouching your back and shoulders, you’ll begin to notice yourself sitting up straighter.
Once you incorporate this into your everyday life, you’ll begin to notice that you seem to be taller without adding the inches.
Additional weight can harm specific joints in your body; for instance, your knees. This is the result of your knees having to support excess mass when an individual is overweight.
Therefore, if you were to lose a remarkable amount of weight, your knees would be relieved of any additional weight, enabling you to stand taller which causes you to gain some height.
Can Losing Weight Make You Taller If You Lose A Lot Of Weight?
Yes! Here is where the belief originated. However, this typically only applies to individuals who are obese and have lost a significant among of weight.
Whereas, if you lose a few pounds you won’t notice any difference.
A study created by Zvi Lidar, among others, found that losing significant amounts of weight can also help to restore disc height located in the back.
Essentially, your spine is less compressed, providing you with some extra height.
Therefore, individuals that are more obese, and who lose significant amounts of weight, are more likely to gain some excess height as a result of shredding the pounds.
If you combine weight loss with improved posture as a result of exercising, then you gain a chance of increasing your height and appearing taller than you are.
Start by implementing a good posture; then, over time you should notice that this comes naturally to you.
How Much Weight Do I Need To Lose To Get Taller?
Here is where things become slightly trickier. When looking at a weighing scale, there’s no particular number you need to see to make you taller.
Rather, the more weight you lose, the more likely you are to become taller.
For instance, if you were to lose 100 pounds, this would have an impact on your height. Likewise, if you’re obese, losing 50 pounds may also have an effect since your body is no longer compressed.
On the other hand, if you’re already relatively healthy and maintain an average weight, then dropping 10 pounds won’t make a difference.
Ultimately, the end goal should be to reach a healthy weight, while this extra height is only a bonus.
How Much Taller Will I Get?
Those who are hoping to lose weight in order to increase their height are generally hoping to increase inches of their height. However, while this may be possible in extreme cases, it’s not likely to happen.
Any height gained will more likely be measured in millimeters rather than inches, too.
If you were to lose significant weight, you could potentially gain around half an inch, which isn’t much of a major difference.
Although, if you combine this half an inch with someone featuring a skinnier frame while standing straight, you will at least achieve the illusion of gaining a few inches in height.
While this may not make much of a difference at the doctor’s office, it can make a considerable difference to those self-conscious of their height, or lack thereof.
While gaining a few extra millimeters is an added bonus when losing significant amounts of weight, as a result of less compression on your joints.
You should remember that these extra millimeters shouldn’t be your primary goal. Ultimately, you’re losing weight to become happier and healthier; and not to become taller.
Simply losing a small amount of weight can decrease the chances of contracting diabetes, prevent certain cancers, puts the pressure off your vital organs, and allows you to enjoy a more fulfilling life.
The long-term health effects of losing weight not only make you look good but feel good also!
Can Gaining Weight Make Me Shorter?
Similar to how losing weight can make you taller, gaining significantly more weight can also make you shorter. The main reason for this is slouching.
With the additional weight, obese people tend to slouch which gives the illusion of being shorter.
Likewise, this weight puts pressure on the discs found in your back which results in compression, making you physically shorter.
While this may seem daunting, just remember that this doesn’t apply to those who have gained a few extra pounds; but rather to those who have gained large amounts of weight.
Final Thoughts
If you have ever wondered whether losing weight can make you taller, well turns out it can! A combination of posture, compression, and illusion allows you to become and look taller.
However, it’s important to remember that this is only applicable to morbidly obese people, and the ultimate goal of weight loss should be to maintain a healthy weight, not to grow taller.
Hopefully, this guide has informed you on whether or not losing weight can make you taller.
