And one of the most typed questions on the web, it’s a pity that in this case the information is really sparse. But how much can a person’s foot really grow
And, above all, it is true that it always follows specific rules of a body size / height ratio
Obviously not. There are no hard and fast rules in terms of growth because there are many variables that can influence the growth of the foot of a child and an adolescent. Among the most important are the action of some hormones, physical constitution and weight gain. The stages of growth of a human being
The most important growth stages are three. It goes without saying that in the very first months of life you grow exponentially – in all respects – and then reach a slightly more gradual growth from 2 to 12 years. The height of a primary school child increases by about 0.01 centimeters per day. But the maximum is achieved in puberty, and from 18 to 25 there can be growth spurts that reach half a centimeter a day. After this age, the body generally stabilizes so that both height and shoe size remain the same. But there are some situations that can totally change the course of the situation.
- Deepening: how a foot size is defined
Shoes are designed and then labeled with standard sizes based on the ISO / TS 19408: 2015 system. The measurement is calculated as the maximum horizontal distance starting from the center of the back of the heel to the tip of the most protruding toe (generally the second and third toes). When choosing a shoe, however, it must be taken into account that the one that best suits us should be about 20 millimeters longer than our foot. Except it’s not about open shoes like sandals.
Because some grow more and others less
The growth of an organism – and therefore of a balance between physical constitution and foot – as already mentioned, is influenced by many factors. These include the hormonal level, familiarity, lifestyle and diet. Most of all, however, are the GH hormones, otherwise called Growth hormone. It is a substance secreted by the pituitary gland during the night – hence the importance of a good number of hours of sleep in the period of greatest growth. This precious gland located at the base of the ecenphalus, if unbalanced, could lead to dwarfism or gigantism. It is natural that reduced levels of GH or GH-1 (a protein that affects its activity) can lead a person to stay too short, not gain weight and have a delay in teething. If the doctor is notified promptly,
- But the fever makes it grow more
Fever is a physiological response of the organism to a pathogen and has the sole purpose of eradicating it more quickly. There is no doubt that metabolism increases in this condition, but there is no scientific evidence that suggests fever as a growth factor. However, it is known with certainty that physical activity stimulates hormone production and therefore positively influences growth. However, it must be said that abuse can still be deleterious. Again, balance is a must.
Foot size depends not only on height, but also on weight
Weight can also affect the size of the foot. Although not exclusively, otherwise a person suffering from obesity would have to be 55 feet tall. Instead it is not like that. However, if you normally wear 38 shoes, it is possible that a significant weight gain could increase your foot by half a size. But the statistics say that the average foot size has been increasing dramatically in recent years. Among the various factors that could have influenced this change, we talk about junk food as a side effect that would have led to overweight, obesity and hormonal changes. «The lengthening of the feet – explains Lorraine Jones of the College of Podology – also depends on the weight and not only on the growth in height. Therefore, it is necessary to pay even more attention to the shoes you buy,
- How feet have changed over time
According to a study conducted by a team of scientists from the College of Podiatry in London, the feet of boys and girls have grown by two sizes on average since 1970. The man at these times wore an average of 42; today the average size is 44. While the woman has gone from 36 to 38.5. Speaking of a foot / height ratio, we can say that an adult man of 175 centimeters in height has a foot of about 28.5 centimeters, compared to 26.5 in 1970. The woman, on the other hand, today reaches a good 25 centimeters, almost like the man of just over half a century ago.
And if the foot grows too much
It could be Acromegaly
If on the one hand the small foot has always been synonymous with ‘defect’ – especially in men – on the other hand even having a huge foot does nothing but worsen one’s self-esteem. But if this happens it could be a disorder called acromegaly, the most evident symptom of which is the excessive stretching of the hands and feet. The cause is always growth hormone which, if secreted in an abnormal way by the pituitary gland, can lead to a kind of gigantism. In reality, the disorder does not always appear suddenly; indeed, it sometimes takes years to understand what is happening to your body. In addition to enlargement of the hands and feet, other typical features of Acromegaly may occur: abnormal spacing between the teeth, thick lips, protruding jaw, enlarged nose, fatigue and muscle weakness, enlargement of the organs. It must be said, however, that if this occurs in adulthood it could be a pituitary tumor or an adenoma of the gland.Bibliografia Scientifica
[1] Foot Ankle. 1990 Feb;10(4):211-3. Foot growth in children age one to five years. Gould N1, Moreland M, Trevino S, Alvarez R, Fenwick J, Bach N.
[2] The growth of the human foot C. B. Davenport Version of Record online: 7 JUN 2005 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.1330170213 American Journal of Physical Anthropology Volume 17, Issue 2, pages 167–211, October/December 1932
