Yep, you're shrinking as you get older

bodyodd.msnbc.msn.com

Oct. 7, 2011
By Melissa Dahl

You're not imagining it: You're shrinking. And as the years slip by, you're just going to keep getting shorter. This morning, TODAY contributor Dr. Roshini Raj explains the phenomenon discussed in a Wall Street Journal story last month.

"A little bit of shrinking is a normal part of aging, and it happens because of three things, basically," Raj says. First, as we age, the discs between our vertebrates lose fluid, so they flatten a bit and your vertebrates "simply come together, so your spine is actually shrinking a little bit," Raj explains.

The arches of your feet also tend to flatten a bit as we age. Finally, we lose muscle mass as we age -- especially in our abdomen, which leads to poorer posture -- which gives the appearance of being shorter.

On average, we shrink about a quarter to a third of an inch per decade for every decade after 40. All told, men will get about 1.2 to 1.5 inches shorter, and women will lose up to 2 inches, by age 70. "For men it's less prominent because they have more muscle mass in general and their bones tend to be stronger they lose less height," Raj says.

If you're losing more inches than that, it could be a sign of osteoporosis -- very weak or brittle bones that make you more prone to fractures. Check it out with your doctor. Smoking excessive alcohol and caffeine consumption and not exercising can also make you more prone to losing height, Raj explains.

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