This is kind of a strange question, but the other day I was at a high school campus visiting a friend that works there and I noticed something about the students. They were a lot taller than I remember when I was in HS. The females seemed to average 5’ 8" and many of the males were 6’ or so. I remember females being maybe 5" 5" and the guys averaging 5’10" or so when I attended high school (about 15 years ago). Obviously there were some exceptions, but in general the kids seem bigger. Have any of you ‘older’ guys noticed this?
I’ve had really embarrasing moments from hitting on chicks who I thought were my age, but found out they were still in High School. It’s hard to tell these days how old girls really are.
Well geez, I’m 5’4" so EVERYONE looks tall and always has. LOL. But yes, I think females (and possibly males) on average are getting a lot taller, possibly due to the fact that sports for young women are more accepted and promoted. Vigorous exercise at a young age can have a positive effect on bone and tissue growth throughout puberty (in both sexes), which correlates into bigger youngins’. Don’t ask me to remember the study, though. Perhaps someone else does…?
Why couldn’t I have been one of the taller kids?
Because, Nate, a guy over 6’ tall with pierced nipples and an affinity for kettlebells is just plain SCARY!
I remember first seeing that in an article by TC. I can’t remember if it was an Atomic Dog or what, but he said it was just a theory & no parents would want to give up their kids for a study. Up until puberty girls & guys make the same amt of T then the girls’ gets shut down earlier because girls ‘mature faster’. Exercise keeps the T levels high for longer. I think that’s how it goes.
Kids are definitely taller now.
Aw, c’mon! I only wanted to be about 5’8" or 5’9" and about 180-200lbs. What’s wrong with that?
I remember seeing an article on how kids are getting injuries from sitting in the school desks that were made 20 years ago. It mentioned that it is because the kids are so much bigger now that they have outgrown the desks and can’t fit into them. Jeez, at this rate by the time I’m old the kids will be 6’ 5" in high school and NBA players will be
8’ mutants.
I don’t think it is increased exercise stimulating growth. Males have always participated in sports and females have played volleyball, basketball or softball. It has got to be improved nutrition knowledge. I remember growing up eating spam and sugary cereal almost every day. Sure, some parents might still feed their kids that stuff but nowadays it is likely to be fortified with DHA and whatnot!
Nate Dogg, I feel for you, man. I feel short and I'm 5'10".
Char-dawg, if I remember right, you are over in the Far East somewhere. In the US, asians in particular are much taller compared to the height they used to be., probably because they had the most significant nutrient deficincies. Is it the same over there?
Man, can they have it any easier building size?
Now you have things like MAG-10 and other powerful modern supplements (that actually work!), and T-mag as a resource for training, nutrition, etc.
I know what you mean. Last week I went to pick up my nephew at his grammer school and some of the older kids there were taller than me ,but I’m only 5’7 so that ain’t saying much.Nate I too have wished to be a couple inches taller(just maybe 5’10). My dad is 6’0 , must have been my mom’s short side. Oh well.
PS- I already train a kid in High School that is 6’4" and only 15 yrs old. His parents are 6’1" dad and 5’10" mom. Both big frames. I also think kids are taller now a days, but has anyone noticed that they aren’t that big/massive. I remember 15 yrs ago when in school that my older brothers’ classmate were huge. He graduated in 87-88 and since then kids are smaller. They look tall and lanky.
Better nutrition now as opposed to the “old days” accounts for most of the growth increase…and that includes nutrition to the fetus. What bothers me is that too many younger kids today seem to be chunky. We rarely had chunky kids when I was growing up. Of course we didn’t have 24 hour TV, video games and that great junk food either. Almost all the games we had were played outdoors and were physical. The only junk food I ever saw was when my mother burnt the pot roast. And, of course, that 5 mile walk to school, uphill both ways, kept us all trim and fit too. 
I was in high school 30 years ago and they definitely are taller now. A young woman I know says any guy under 6’ now is considered on the short side. The really good thing is how hot the girls look. However that probably has to do with (a) girls are more physically fit and show it off (b) the older you get the wider your universe of desirable women becomes (just wait, younger guys), and (c) I’m a dog.
My 20 year reunion comes up next summer – man, that makes me feel OLD. But I agree with Avoids (God! another mark on the calendar) about the nutrition. And also ricochez on the girls. Maybe it’s more open mindedness on cosmetics. I see some of these girls and could be arrested for my thoughts. The scary thing would be if I were single.
Actually, what’s interesting is I feel that I see the same trend, however, statistical studies have shown that the average height of americans has not had any significant increase since the the 1960s.
The article was written up in Scientific American as an editorial.
The thing is none of us really have a good objective perspective or ability to view any trends - we’re too deep in the trenches.
Either way, here’s the link to the article which is written in the context of pro athletes:
http://www.sciam.com/2001/0701issue/0701scicit6.html
I graduated HS last year. Yes, they are pretty big (I am a puny 5’8" - the height of the average sophomore girl). Here’s my reason: they’re all lazy as hell and they take really easy ass classes and sleep all damn day and night. I took hard classes (I’m a big nerd) and, as a result, I did not grow. The lesson: AP classes stunt your growth.
Hey PP! This is true. The women are taller than ever these days. Hell, I just wanted to do the poopoo to pp gag! That’s rich, Tilly!