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Asked by 248medh27 to Christopher, Dan, Jen, Mohan, Sarah on 13 Mar 2017.
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Jen Dennis answered on 13 Mar 2017:
That’s a really good question and one that I think lots of adults would like to know the answer to as well but they’re too embarrassed to ask!
As you get older, your bones tend to get thinner and weaker. This leads to breaks (fractures) being more likely to happen. Your spine takes a lot of punishment over the course of your life – it’s got to hold you up the whole time! – and fractures of your vertebrae (bones of the spine) are more likely as the bones thin out. When the vertebrae fracture, they collapse down to a fraction of their original height. So the more collapsed vertebrae you have, the shorter your spine gets overall. Since your overall height is determined quite a lot by the length of your spine, if you have lots of fractures then your spine is shorter and you get shorter (or shrink) as well.
Hope that answers the question ok.
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Sarah De Vos answered on 14 Mar 2017:
Yes, it’s mostly to do with ageing of the spine. In addition to the collapse of vertebrae due to fractures, the discs between your vertebrae, which are mostly composed of water, dry out, thus becoming thinner, and reducing the length of your spine, and thus your height.
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Mohan K answered on 14 Mar 2017:
As you get older everything in the body gets more tired, more worn, more flimsy, (more depressing??). The overall effect is a small loss in stature and height. Larger losses of height can occur when you get spinal fractures and collapses.
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Christopher Mirfin answered on 14 Mar 2017:
Basically enjoy being young and healthy before your body starts to creak 😂
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