Everyone’s final height is mostly determined by the “genes” (genetic material) they inherit from their parents but height is also influenced by early or late puberty, some chronic illnesses and medications. Girls usually have their growth spurt before their menstrual periods begin and then grow for about 2 years after their first menstrual period. It is likely that your height has been checked at your well visits and marked on a “growth chart.” At 17 you are likely at your adult height.
There is also a math formula for girls that will help you to figure out about how tall you will be, give or take a couple of inches. The bolded numbers represent your parents’ height and your predicted height.
Girls: [(dad’s height – 5 inches) + mother’s height]/2 = (65 + 62)/2 = 63.5 inches
Your expected height is about 63.5 inches or 5 ft. 3½ inches but may be between 4’11½” to 5’7½”.
The best way to grow to your full height is to stay healthy, eat a well-balanced and nutritious diet, exercise daily, and get enough sleep. Avoid taking over-the-counter products that claim to make you taller. They don’t work and can actually cause health problems.
Our health guides are developed through a systematic, rigorous process to ensure accuracy, reliability, and trustworthiness. Written and reviewed by experienced healthcare clinicians from Boston Children's Hospital, a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital and consistently ranked as a top hospital by Newsweek and U.S. News & World Report, these guides combine clinical expertise, specialized knowledge, and evidence-based medicine. We also incorporate research and best practices from authoritative sources such as the CDC, NIH, PubMed, top medical journals, and UpToDate.com. Clinical specialists and subject matter experts review and edit each guide, reinforcing our commitment to high-quality, factual, scientifically accurate health information for young people.