Most People may not admit it, but we all have ideal height, weight, and size. Specifically, society sees tall people with average body size as trustworthy and intelligent. They are more desirable than their shorter counterparts. It’s just the way it is.
However, several factors may contribute to short stature. Among the culprits include genes, diet, and smoking. However, the smoking factor has always been a source of disagreement in various quarters. But can smoking have any effect on your height? Is it just hubris? What does the research say regarding smoking and your height?
Nicotine Addiction
Nicotine is the primary substance that sustains the smoking habit among many people. It is nicotine that most people become addicted to. However, it affects various body parts in one way or another.
When you start smoking, nicotine reaches your brain within 10 seconds and causes the release of adrenaline. It is the resulting adrenaline that makes people feel good and energetic. However, this effect is short-lived. Therefore, they feel the need to take many cigarettes to sustain the pleasurable feeling and energy.
Over time, your body develops resistance to nicotine, and the few cigarettes that you were taking may not have any effect. As a result, you take more and more cigarettes, and it becomes almost impossible to quit.
The associated withdrawal symptoms include feeling down and stressed. It also causes a feeling of restlessness, and you may have trouble concentrating on a task. You may as well feel irritable and may not have sufficient sleep.
Health Risks and Association to Body Mass in Girls and Height in Boys
The relationship between smoking and your health has been in the public domain for a long time. Numerous studies have shown that smoking has a variety of health risks.
However, there has always been this misconception that smoking could make girls slimmer than their counterparts.
And as you know, slim always seems taller than obese, even when that may not be the case. Slim people can get away without been categorized among the short people. However, the latest research dispels the myth of a possible link between a slim body in girls and smoking.
Research done in Montreal shows that the girls that smoke is no more likely to lose weight then don’t who do not smoke.
The same research also indicates that boys between the ages of 12 and 17, who smoke at least ten cigarettes a day, are about two inches shorter than those who do not smoke. According to the researchers, the reason for the stunting is because the boys may still be growing when they start smoking.
How Smoking Affects your Height
Smoking has been shown to hurt the pituitary gland which produces the growth hormone, necessary for growth. Also, smoking increases the amount of carbon monoxide in the blood and thus minimizing the amount of oxygen available for body tissues. Your body needs oxygen to build and repair tissues, and when it is insufficient, stunting is more likely.
Another effect of smoking is the lowering of testosterone, an essential hormone in the growth of hair, muscle building and the burning of fats.
Information for this article was sourced from several websites including the height growth company website.
