Courses
Courses for Kids
Free study material
Offline Centres
More
Store Icon
Store

Increase in Human Body Size

share icon
share icon

Human Body Growth

The development of a human body majorly depends on the increase in human height. Often people ask how to increase body size. The growth of a person depends mainly on the genetic constitution of the body. Several other factors affect this development. Human height is 80 percent dependent on DNA. The muscles of the limbs and the heart simultaneously start growing during a growth spurt. The pituitary, the thyroid gland, and the sex hormones are the ones involved in the growth of a human. Usually, males and females undergo different human body growth rates. The events which happen during this development, depending on the genetic differences. Different races around the world have different growth patterns. Usually, growth in women is slower and lesser in percentage than that of males. There is no other way to determine how to increase body size.

[Image will be Uploaded Soon]

Increase in Body Size in Boys

Human body growth is closely related to the development of the reproductive organs. Human beings experience a sudden growth spurt at 10 to 16 years in boys and 11 to 13 years in girls. For boys, the development of the penis and pubic hair takes place rapidly. There is a change in voice, physical structure together with the sexual interest of the male. A vast range of variability is undergone by the boys of 13 to 15 years of age. The boys who show a higher human body growth rate, do better performance in athletic skills than their contemporaries. Uneven competition between peers sometimes leads to mental stress on those boys who develop late.


In males, the first sign of puberty is the accelerated growth of the testes and scrotum. Skin becomes red, followed by wrinkles and the growth of pubic hair. The appearance of the facial hair starts with the growth in the reproductive organs and the first ejaculation. The thickness of the hair and its location of growth mainly depends on the heredity. During this period there is a change in the voice. This happens due to the lengthening of the vocal cords of the males.

Increase in Body Size in Girls

The increase in breast size is a marker for puberty in young females. Menarche or the first menstrual cycle. The reproductive organs like the vagina and the uterus develop along with the breast. Usually, pubic hair starts appearing before itself. These developments might be full of discomfort. Especially when the first few menstrual cycles can be immensely irregular. Moreover, in some girls, these changes might happen quite early while in others it might be quite late. 


Usually, girls are said to increase in height, more or less about 2 inches during puberty. But this does not have to be at the time of menarche itself. This is related to the all-over growth during the adolescent years. Again this growth in height depends more on heredity and genetic pattern. However, the growth rate of females is usually less than that of males. It is less sudden and spread over a larger time of development. Other developments like the broadening of hips and the entire pelvic region also take place.

How to Grow Body Size

Usually, human size depends majorly on the genetic constitution and a person’s heredity. However, a small percentage of growth and development also depends on nutrition, activity level, and health conditions. Human size is different in different parts of the world. Children usually grow in height till 18 years of age. Factors like their diet and the amount of exercise can alter their development. Good nutrition can enable kids to grow taller and hence increase body size.


A healthy diet full of vegetables and fruits during the adolescence period is necessary. The body needs all the vitamins and minerals. Egg, meat, seafood, nuts and other food such as legumes are heavy sources of proteins. Another mineral required to increase body size is calcium. It is very much beneficial for developing bones. Therefore milk and milk products like yogurt, oranges, broccoli, and soybeans are essential for growing children.

Did You Know?

  • Sleep is an essential growth factor and one of the answers to the question of how to grow size. It is during sleep that the adolescent undergoes growth in their body. This is because during this time there is a release of the growth hormones. Therefore getting enough sleep along with a healthy diet during the growing years ensures proper development.

  • The pituitary hormone has an effect on human body growth in children. The deficiency of this hormone results in dwarfism in children. The function of the hormone is to put down proteins in the muscles of the growing areas. The hormone is secreted in bursts from the pituitary when stimulated by the organs that are around it. 

Want to read offline? download full PDF here
Download full PDF
Is this page helpful?
like-imagedislike-image

FAQs on Increase in Human Body Size

1. What is the Behavioral Difference During Growth?

Answer. There are a lot of other developments that take place at different tempos in children. These occur during adolescence. The developmental age is always different from the chronological age. The stature and the skeletal growth of the child determine this growth. The maturity of the body can be measured by studying the X-rays of particular parts of the body and analyzing them with the size chart. Depending upon the environment, children of some societies grow at a higher rate. The development in the adult years is rapid. Some of the primary changes include the growth of facial hair and strength in boys. Broadening of the pelvic region is seen in girls.

2. What are the Factors That Can Affect Height?

Answer. The factors that determine how to grow size during adolescent years include;

  • The DNA of a human being has 700 different genes to determine the height of an individual.

  • The hormone of the pituitary, the thyroid hormone, and the sex hormones are required for growth. They determine the growth of a girl or a boy. Among the sex hormones, testosterone and estrogen are essential.

  • The sex of a child plays a role in the growth of the body. Usually, boys grow more. This occurs for a longer period than that in girls.

  • Regular exercise and a proper diet can also act as a catalyst for growth. Exercise helps in physical development by sharpening the body and making the body stronger.


Competitive Exams after 12th Science