why is it you never hardly see pensioners that are 6ft and over?The real oldies are nearly all small.(I would like to point out the 'hardly' word, before someone tells me their uncle Arthur is 99 and six foot eleven and a half!)
2007-02-11 10:35:56 · 15 answers · asked by pageys 5 in Family & Relationships ➔ Friends
If you are 6ft in your youth, surely your not going to shrink to 5ft in your old age ....are you?
2007-02-11 10:46:32 · update #1
I think that like the person above me said, old people tend to be shorter because of a degree of shrinkage of the frame, also posture might have something to do with it. Old people tend to stoop more - maybe a sign of having to cope with many burdens over the years!
I also think that each generation is getting bigger. If you go to a museum and look at shoes and clothes from even just 80 years ago you will see that they look quite tiny. The further back in time the clothes/shoes are from - the smaller they are. Also in England we still have very old medeival buildings, the door frames are often too low for many people now, yet I guess in those days everyone would have been able to enter the doors with room to spare. Maybe when this generation of 20 something year olds are pensioners then there will be more 6ft pensioners
2007-02-11 10:49:47 · answer #1 · answered by gorse9 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
People begin to shrink from the age of 30 - progressive wear on the bones is the primary cause, I believe, and poor posture caused by weakness of illness/disease plays a part too. In addition, remember that with every generation, people are getting taller - when they were young, the average height wasn't as tall as these days.
2007-02-11 19:09:07 · answer #2 · answered by Andrew B 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
That is so true! We do shrink as we get older but crikey, your right they are nearly all short! That means I'll be around 4ft when I'm old 'cos I'm only 5ft 3!
2007-02-11 18:40:30 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
We do shrink with age,usually a couple of inches,by the time we reach 70.
2007-02-11 19:41:47 · answer #4 · answered by Dollytot :-) 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
if you dont want to sound morbid ... then dont... ggeeezzzeeeee!!.. older peoples bones tend to shrink with age as the calcium is drained... osteoartritis and the likes set in causing back problems etc...thats why they shrink.. its not a shrinking they get its the ageing process on the body.. your uncle is lucky he aint snapped in hald yet then!
2007-02-11 18:56:51 · answer #5 · answered by tikketiboo 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There are in Bonnie Scotland, it's eating all that porridge!!! Seriously know what you mean. It is said you get smaller as you get older but don't really know the correct explanation........no doubt further down in these answers someone will tell you. Also you sort of bend over (I think) as you get older and this gives the appearance of smallness.
2007-02-11 18:41:40 · answer #6 · answered by Ms Mat Urity 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Well my Dad is still over six foot and his 78 in April, maybe it depends on life sytle and genes. I understand what your saying. Maybe its an attitude to life, keeping active and not giving in to old age, or maybe its sheer luck.Just hope I am as lucky.
2007-02-11 19:08:56 · answer #7 · answered by CHRISTINE C 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
One of the problems of evolving into bipeds is that it puts the body and particualy the spine under more strain, Hence older people tend to be more hunched over. Age takes its toll on us all my friend.
2007-02-11 18:43:17 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Not being silly, but people are like grapes. The older they get they start to shrivel and end up like raisins.
Thats the simple way of explaining.
2007-02-11 18:39:23 · answer #9 · answered by trickyrick32 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Because elderly people's body frames tend to shrink as they get older. It happens to everyone, including yourself one day!
2007-02-11 18:38:54 · answer #10 · answered by beanie 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋