Gaining Weight And Growth

[jcollie800]

Hey, I was diagnosed with celiac at a young age and my family thought nothing of it. It never effected me in a major way except on some occasions. I am 16 and male. When I was 14 I stooped growing and gaining weight. My diet as of a year ago has been relatively gluten free, and right now I am not eating any gluten. My dad is about 5'8 my brother is 5'9. Is it likely that Ill stay this way and not grow at all? Is my best bet to not eat gluten and see what happens?

[nvsmom]

There is a recent thread in the CopingWith forum. Someone discuses how they have grown over an inch in just the past few months after going gluten-free. here is the link.

Have you had your vitamin levels checked recently? There is a chance that your duodenum has not healed if you were only "relatively gluten free". It can take weeks to heal after being exposed to gluten so even if you only eat crumbs of gluten a couple of times a month, your intestines may be unable to absorb the nutrients required for further growth. I am glad to hear you are gluten-free now, I hope you are able to continue it!

I had undiagnosed celiac as a child and stopped growing at age 12. Although i am almost 5'8", I really wish I had known to go gluten-free...my dad was a huge pro football player and I now wonder if I could have grown taller.

[RonSchon]

It's good you are now gluten-free, you may notice some additional growth. Genetics most likely are going to limit you to some number around your father and brother, but not necessarily exactly. My dad was 5'11, my brother is 5'9, and I'm 6'2. My brother was born premature, so that appears to have played a role in his smaller stature.

As I've stated elsewhere, when I went gluten-free my fingernails and hair started growing at a very fast pace.

[kittty]

At 16 it's very possible that you'll continue growing if you cut out gluten altogether and start to absorb the nutrients you need. Guys typically keep growing for longer than girls, and it's not unusual for guys to keep growing steadily until age 18. There are other things that can stop you from growing too, like smoking.

My fingernails have been growing faster since quitting gluten too. It's amazing how often they need to be clipped now. They barely used to grow at all. The white splotches have almost completely disappeared too.

[Chiana]

My buddy grew 3 inches between the ages of 18 and 21. It correlated with a much more nutritious diet. (He was eating more green vegetables and less processed food.) Just keep your eye on the prize - stick to gluten-free foods and eat your vegetables!

[eglassman88]

Personally, since I've gone gluten-free I've grown about 3 inches total. You're still young. I went gluten-free at the age of 18 and those 3" came after 18. No need to worry yet.