Unintended Shrinking

[bandpal 7]

While I was weighing in on the old doctor's scale, I played around with the height ruler that extends frome the scale pole. Then I stopped playing and checked three more times. Then I ran home and got my 16 year-old to measure me against the bathroom door frame. The verdict remained unchanged: 5'4.1", meaning I have shrunk 1½ inches!

As my teenager blithely informed me, men lose an inch every 30 years, so at 50 I am perfectly average. Yeah, thanks a lot, kid! You try to have a statistic ripped from you that's been your loyal friend ever since puberty, a height which stood by you steadfast and unchanging even as your width violently careened out of control and back again. Wait… oh no… my weight!

I ran to the computer and recomputed my BMI. Sure enough, my universe had been knocked off it's axis once again. At 5.5½, I was looking at a BMI of 22.2… but my newly calculated " height" bumped me up to 23.1! No fair! I didn't do anything wrong, officer!

Now I'm not going to get myself seriously out of joint about this, considering that before surgery 2½ years ago I had a 47 BMI to my name, but still, something of a bummer, no? I suppose I have to find me some serious stretching excercizes, right? Really, though: does this mean I'm Calcium deficient, or what. How do you contend with unintended - and unwelcome - shrinking?

[annieM 2]

Yep, I've lost some height, but I have arthritis and am developing one of those humps on my back so I think that's where my height went. An inch and a half is quite a bit to lose but if you aren't in pain I guess I wouldn't stress over it. Do mention it to your doctor though because if you are getting osteopenia he may want to put you on one of those bone saving drugs so you don't end up with breaks.

It's funny I had the same convo with myself about the BMI change...

[atroglet 29]

I don't have anything to add....your post cracked me up....where's my tape measure?:thumbup:

[amybethy 0]

Did you measure first thing in the morning? As the day goes on. Your spine kinda compresses and you can looses a bit of hight so try tomorrow morning and see if its still the same.

[BetsyB 9]

This is going to sound weird, but in my experience, height is really difficult to measure accurately for yourself--your posture is different if someone else is measuring you. Then, you stand straighter, with arms at your side. Reaching up and back to fiddle with the measuring arm can affect the result.

I'd ask the nurse or doctor, next time,to do the measuring.