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Are the jeans that fit last month too short for you this month? Probably so. This is because between the ages of 9 and 12 your body begins growing very rapidly. This rapid growth is called the adolescent growth spurt. During the late childhood and teenage years, each person's body grows differently. Why is this? How each person grows is affected by many factors. Your body is like a computer that runs on its own growth program. You inherited most of your growth program from your parents, such as your height, body shape, eye and hair color, and so on. These traits you inherited from your parents are called genetic traits. Also, girls and boys tend to have different growth programs. Girls, you begin the adolescent growth spurt earlier than boys, around age 10. This is why girls are often taller than boys for a short period of time. In addition to your height, weight and body shape also change dramatically. For example, you may notice that you have more body fat and your hips look wider than last year. These body changes do not mean that you are getting fat. These changes are a normal stage in becoming an adult, and are caused by special chemicals that your body produces called hormones. Boys, although you begin your growth spurt later than girls, around age 12, you also experience changes in height, weight, and body shape. For example, you will begin to notice that your shoulders look broader. Broadening of the shoulders is caused by special hormones in your body. Because of these hormones, you tend to gain more muscle than girls during the growth spurt. These are all normal changes that boys experience during growth. Because both boys and girls are beginning to grow rapidly between the ages of 9 and 12, your body needs more energy than when you were younger. You get this energy mainly from the calories in the food you eat. If you do not eat enough calories, it may slow or even stop your growth. You may not feel like learning either. Therefore, give your body the energy it needs to learn and grow. Eat a variety of foods at meals and snacks, and eat enough to satisfy your hunger.
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