Make the most of your pre-programmed height

Christine asks: I'm 150cm tall. When do teens stop growing and what can I do to grow taller?

Wynnie says: Many teens are dissatisfied with certain aspects of their bodies, so you're not alone. When it comes to physical attributes, though, height is one that is particularly difficult to change because your genetic background largely predicts how tall you will eventually become.

Everyone has been pre-programmed to reach a certain height. Certain ethnic groups tend to be shorter or taller. Your adult height should be somewhere between that of your parents - it is said the heights of men and daughters, and women and sons correlate.

Your rate of growth varies over your lifetime: as you enter puberty, a growth spurt is common, and typically adds between 7cm and 13cm to your height a year. Girls tend to start their growth spurt younger than boys - you'll know it's starting when your feet start getting bigger.

The major determinant of your adult height is how long your longest bones becomes.

Long bones are found in your upper and lower legs and contain growth plates at either end - the bones elongate between them. When growth is completed, usually when you're around 17 or 18 years old, the growth plates close and bones can't get any longer.