The High Cost of Getting Bigger

Everyone knows that height can help a person achieve great things. In sports, tall persons will naturally have an advantage over their shorter opponents because they can stride more without too much effort and they can reach places shorter players can’t.

This is also true in business and employment. Some companies have height requirements because some tasks can only be done by taller persons.

There are even companies who prefer taller employees because they can easily command leadership because of their towering presence. That’s why a tall person can easily achieve great things in their life compared to shorter individuals.

Because of the perception that height can easily lead to better things in life, many parents are now willing to spend so that their kids can achieve their full growth potential.

And the price of achieving optimum height is very high. FDA approved hormone treatments – regarded as the most effective growth enhancement therapy can easily cost parents $100,000 and this figure does not include medicines and other treatments required by hormone treatments. Some parents are willing to pay this amount just to ensure their kids grow taller.

But this type of “investment” might not be beneficial for parents and their kids. The therapy is highly efficient for those who are suffering from ISS or idiopathic short structure. This condition is known to be treated with hormone therapy so that it can stimulate further growth. However, most parents who seek this type of treatment have normal kids.

This means the growth that can come from this therapy is very minimal. In best conditions, the kid can gain as much as two inches in height. Parents have to literally spend more than $50,000 per inch for their kid. A two-inch growth is not really significant in many adult situations so the $100,000 investment for their kids is not worth it.

Because the growth that can be achieved in a highly efficient system is not enough and can be very expensive, it’s highly recommended that parents consider the effects of the possible improvement of height in the real world.

Many doctors are asked about this therapy will usually inform the parents upfront of the minimal results. Only those who are suffering from ISS and other growth related problems can gain a lot from this therapy because of their short stature.

It’s even important to note that further studies have to be made on the treatment for those suffering from ISS and those who are willing to grow two inches more. There have been no studies yet on the long term effect of the hormone therapy in the body.

The hormone treatment could disrupt the natural balance of hormones of the adolescent which could greatly affect their behavior and even increase susceptibility to certain diseases.

Forcing the kid to grow taller through medical treatment is only recommended if the kid is suffering from growth related problems. Normal kids should grow tall in a normal manner since the effects of hormone therapy have not been fully studied. The $100,000 investment for merely two inches is not worth it.