my grandma is like 4'11, but she said she was 5'2 when she was young, she said she just 'shrunk'...
So is it true? can people shrink when they reach old age?
i heard b4 its the 'spine' that curves more that makes the old people shrink, but my grandma isn't even HUNCHED-BACK at all ! she has a straight back and good posture, so what is true here? :S
2006-12-17 10:33:26 · 22 answers · asked by Anonymous in Health ➔ Other - Health
yes everybody shrinks. it's part of the aging process
2006-12-17 10:35:00 · answer #1 · answered by teeshock 2 · 6⤊ 0⤋
no you just had a growth spurt before everyone else. And now your friends are all catching up to you. You are still gunna grow, most people stop at like 17ishh well around there. Most of the time, 13 year olds don't shirink. The only reason older people shrink is because the back bone starts to deteriorate im not sure if thats the write word for it tho.
2016-05-23 02:58:20 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
"it's common for older people to become a little shorter over time. It isn't dramatic or sudden. It takes place over years and may add up to only an inch or so off of their adult height (maybe a little more, maybe less). This kind of shrinking can't be reversed, although people can slow or stop this process. But why does shrinking happen at all?
As people get older, they generally lose some muscle and fat from their bodies as part of the natural aging process. Gravity (that force that keeps your feet on the ground) takes hold, and the disks, or cushions between the bones in the spine, get compressed over time. The back bones, called vertebrae (say: vur-tuh-bray), end up pressing closer together, which makes a person lose a little height and become shorter.
Another reason why some older people shrink is because of osteoporosis (say: oss-tee-oh-puh-ro-sis). Osteoporosis occurs when too much spongy bone tissue (which is found inside of most bones) is broken down and not enough new bone material is made. Over time, bone is said to be lost because it's not being replaced. Bones become smaller and weaker and can easily break if someone with osteoporosis is injured.
Older people - especially women, who generally have smaller and lighter bones to begin with - are more likely to develop osteoporosis. As years go by, a person with osteoporosis can get small breaks in bones that are called compression fractures. These breaks cause collapse of the vertebrae and over time the person with osteoporosis can become hunched over or stooped."
A.L.
2006-12-17 10:35:33 · answer #3 · answered by AnswerLady 4 · 0⤊ 5⤋
Hi Ceta, Yes,this is true. I used to be 5' 3" i am not 5' 2" and i have no hunch back,but my spine has no curve to it. So you can expected to shrink in size alittle when you become older.
This is the true.
Clowmy
2006-12-17 10:37:55 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 4⤋
At 21 i was 6-1 and a half, i am 39 now and stand 6 foot so yes you do shrink as you age.
2006-12-17 10:38:18 · answer #5 · answered by apache672004 4 · 2⤊ 4⤋
Starting at about age 40, people typically lose about half an inch each decade, with some faster shrinkage after age 70. Senior citizens may shrink as much as three inches.
2006-12-17 10:36:40 · answer #6 · answered by Tigerlillie 3 · 1⤊ 4⤋
Yes people do shrink with age.
2006-12-17 11:20:36 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 4⤋
Yes, people do shrink as they reach old age. I think it has something to do with your bones losing cartilage and therefore becoming smaller.
2006-12-17 10:35:25 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 4⤋
yes, especially women because of hormones and child birth. The fetus sucks the calcium from the mother as they develop in the womb.
their bones then becomes weaken and porous. So when they get older the bones would break easily or deform.
2006-12-17 10:43:47 · answer #9 · answered by professorminh 4 · 0⤊ 4⤋
As the body ages the discs, spaces between the vertebrae disintegrate causing a loss of height.
2006-12-17 10:35:43 · answer #10 · answered by Deirdre O 7 · 1⤊ 4⤋