Is it possible that a young person can get shorter?

[Willow4]

I was at hospital the other day and when I was measured I was 5'0 whereas I'm 5'1 on a good day lol. I shrugged it off and thought it could have just been how I was standing or their measurements were just a little off.

However I went to weigh myself at the pharmacy today while I was waiting for a prescription and measured 5'0 again. I don't know if it's possible to shrink? :/ Both times I was standing up straight with my shoulders back.

[jmr2191]

Sometimes, the height and weight scales can differ based on its age and how level the floor is. It also depends on who's measuring and whether you have anything on your feet such as sandals or shoes. It is also known that one can be shorter earlier in the day and taller later in the day, but usually that height doesn't deviate by an entire inch. Some people with rare diseases (you'd have to be showing more symptoms for that to be true) can lose height prematurely and sometimes it just has to do with the natural age of cartilage. I wouldn't be concerned.

[Willow4]

Thank you so much for all this info :) I broke my back 6 years ago but I can't see how it would suddenly be an issue now, perhaps I'm just smaller in the morning than I had thought :/

[JustinCaseUDontKnow]

Yes your taller in morning and shorter in the afternoon
i was in school the school nurse measured me in the afternoon
5'7" 1/2 and went to my family doctors i was 5'9" in the noon

[Willow4]

Maybe I'm 5'1 in the afternoon and 5'0 in the morning? :)

[JustinCaseUDontKnow]

Yea could be but i do believe in that cause it happened to me:) xD

[Willow4]

At least I'm not below 5 I suppose lol <3

[JustinCaseUDontKnow]

Awe i know how you feel <3 :D

[JustinCaseUDontKnow]

Thank You for Most Helpful:) xD <3

[Willow4]

You're very welcome! :) <3

[Katy16]

I don't think so, did you have on different shoes or anything from what you used to wear?

I know im 5'5 but the nurse who measured me last time didn't know how to do it and I got annoyed and wasn't standing straight and was 5'3 lol

[Willow4]

I didn't wear any shoes both times I was measured.. unless my foot has suddenly exploded :P

I guess just take your pick of which height you'd rather be lol

[Katy16]

I don't know then unless the measuring things were off lol

And yeah lol

[hswhis]

Could be your posture. If your back muscles are overly tight, they may not be letting you stretch your spine as it should. So you would probably register as shorter.

[Lyndsielee666]

When I was really bad into my eating disorder I shrunk and my feet got smaller..
So its possible if you're starving yourself.

[Willow4]

I did have an eating disorder, I never realised that though thank you :)

[Hans222]

Was the 5 ft 1 before or after your back injury? If the separation between your vertebrae has changed this could be the reason.
It happens to figher pilots who use their ejection seat: there's such a G-force compressing their back vertically during the ejection that they're shorter after the experience.
Still enjoying some figure skating?

[Willow4]

5'1 was before and after my injury :) I broke my back 6 years and I've still always been 5'1, it only seems to be recently that I'm noticing I'm shorter, I actually measured myself last night and this morning and still 5'0 :/ I didn't realise all of that though, I hope it's nothing serious.

I am really really enjoying it, thank you so much for asking :) I hope you're doing ok yourself :)

[Hans222]

I'm fine! I've just finished something very difficult. For my hobby - which is flying - I needed to do an audit of our flying club. It took me some 8 h of checking documents over 2 Saturdays. Plus 2 sundays of writing my audit report. Tough business, and it was the first time in my life. Wanted to do it correctly so it took a lot of effort and research :-)

[Willow4]

Wow you're a pilot? :) That's so impressive. Do you enjoy it? I hope you get some of Sunday to actually relax though lol :)

[Hans222]

Oh yes, I do enjoy it a lot... it's really my passion. The next time I 'm sitting in front of my mailbox I'll tell you my "story". I had to wait for 9 years before I could realize my dream.
Perhaps you can than answer and tell me someting about your history in figure skating. Apart from the unfortunate accident, that's probably not something that's nice to tell about.
Oh and... after finishing my audit report and doing some quick GAG-ing I went out for a 2 h walk. That relaxed me :-)

[Willow4]

I'm SO glad you're there after 9 years and please do write me an essay on your story lol :) I've spent most of my childhood skating so I'm sure I can think of some good stories to tell you, thanks so much for taking an interest Hans :)

[Hans222]

You're welcome, and the story is in your mailbox!

[islandinhabitant]

May seem obvious but have you changed your shoes recently could have a different heel/sole thickness? Before you start worrying about medical things could be worth checking?

[Willow4]

I was wearing the same shoes actually :/ flip flops lol. But I took them off both times I was measured.

[ilovetm]

I think it's your posture. Shoulders back young lady after all your a proper English Girl. FYI I love "petite" girls. They make me feel so confident because I'm so much bigger.

[Willow4]

I did have my shoulders like a proper English girl lol :D still ended up at 5'0 though :/ I'm glad some men appreciate shorter women, especially as I seem to be just a weeny bit smaller than I thought :)

[croxy]

It's actually proven some people are shorter during the evening then morning because when you lay in a bed, you stretch, I don't know when on the day you actually measured your height?

[Willow4]

It was the morning :/ Have I just flattened your theory? lol.

[croxy]

It's not my theory, it's proven that it can affect some people, I don't remember from where, but I can assure you it's from a viable source.

That's not the case for you though!

[Willow4]

I know, I'm just teasing ;) calm yourself Thor! lol.
I don't know what it could be.. perhaps I should give it a 3rd test to be on the safe side.

[croxy]

You could try to use a different measuring tool, maybe one of the ones you have used have been off?

[Willow4]

I could try a tape measure I suppose, maybe I should try measuring myself in the evening seeing as both times were in the morning. Maybe that will make a difference :)

[croxy]

To be fair, if I remember right it was a VEEEEEEEEEEEEERY slight difference hahahahaa

[Willow4]

Slight enough for me to be an inch shorter though and at 5'1 every inch counts :P

[croxy]

Hahahah, if you can't see a difference in the mirror it won't matter!

A tip though, make a mark on the wall or something your current height, and then check from time to time if it gets different!!

[Willow4]

I'll do that :D If I get yelled at for scribbling all over the walls I'll know who to blame :P

[apropos]

I too have noticed my height varies a little from day to day.

[Anonymous]

Apparently you are tallest first thing in the morning and get shorter as the day goes on because of the pressure of gravity on your spine.

[Willow4]

I didn't know that, thank you :) In which case I seem to be tallest at 5'0 :/

[Rodismus]

the discs in your back can shrink and expand over time they do eventually stay shrunk

[Willow4]

Do you think it can happen this early though? I'm 22 :)

[Rodismus]

There are diseases that can cause it very early yea but you would probably be asking about not feeling well instead of your height. Just force yourself to have a good posture, check in the morning and make sure you aren't dehydrated. Hopefully it's still the same everyday then.

[Willow4]

I hope so lol I'll keep checking it just to see :) thank you.

[COCOCHANEL]

maybe your spine started curving

[Willow4]

I have broken my back in the past, I did wonder if that had something to do with it but that was 6 years ago and I've always been 5'1 since :/ seems strange.

[COCOCHANEL]

oh my ! how did that happen? ><

[Willow4]

figure skating 6 years ago, it's fine now though :D but it did cross my mind lol I could do with being taller if anything!

[COCOCHANEL]

oh >< i would worry my discs are out of line or something

[Willow4]

Yeah I seriously worried about that, but it was such a long time ago now, it would be unusual for it to suddenly be an issue now :/

[Annymous8]

It's possible to shrink. I think I might have.

[Willow4]

Really? I was hoping it would happen when I was older lol I don't want to get much shorter at 22.

[Annymous8]

I think it's a minimal variation compared to at an older age.