Can you catch up in growth after finding out you have diabetes?

Last updated on August 26, 2020


I was diagnosed with Type I diabetes recently. I’m 18 and I suspect the I’ve had it since I was about 13. My doctor said this could have delayed my growth. Currently, I am 5’3″ and about 108 pounds. My father is 5′ 8″ and my mother is 5′ 4″. I was just wondering if it is possible for me to catch up when it comes to my growth or if I’ll stay the size that I am?


First, I sorry that you have to deal with this disease, but I am glad that it was discovered so that you can deal with it.

In theory, once your insulin and sugar levels are regulated, your body will then try to recover. What is typically seen is that the body rapidly finishes off development to catch up to the stage you should have been at. The result is that you don’t stay in the various growth stages long enough to gain your full potential height.

Whether you will grow more depends on where you are currently in development. The Tanner Stage Calculator can give you a rough estimate of where you are. It may not be very accurate in your case since your diabetes may throw the development characteristics off. The best answer would be for your doctor to do an x-ray and determine your bone age. If the growth plates are still open, you have the potential to grow. But your body will be playing catch up and you might finish off rapidly and not a great deal taller than you currently are.