The Business of Growing

Photos courtesy of Pong and David Castillo Dominici/freedigitalphotos.net

The younger generation in Korea definitely seems taller than the previous generation, and sometimes even taller than Koreans living in other countries. Is this just a trick of the eye?

In short, no – no pun intended! Numbers released by the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS) reveal that Koreans in their 20s are six to eight centimeters taller than the generation before them. Not only that, but those born in the mid-90s have a different body-to-head ratio, with their legs getting longer in proportion to their bodies by up to two centimeters. Some reasons for this are natural, such as improved nutrition, but others are less so, such as growth-inducing treatment.

What’s the hubbub?

A fear of falling below average has spurred the rapid success of growth-related businesses such as clinics, specialists, specific growth-related vitamins, and wearable products (special shoes or belts). While some products offer a temporary height boost, such as the famed “magic shoes” popularized by the former North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il, Koreans are now looking for more permanent solutions.

Parents desperate to give their child every opportunity to succeed enroll them in growth programs at clinics, as they would a private academy. The clinics’ fees are paid on a monthly basis. Treatment involves coming into the clinic several times per week for two or three hours. Children are registered in programs that can cost up to three million won per month, easily adding up to tens of millions of won over the long term.

“Though my daughter is only 4, I am afraid she will be shorter than her peers,” says one mother. “A tall, beautiful outward appearance is crucial to success. I want her to be confident and avoid being teased.”

Her sentiment echoes the concern of many Korean parents. In a country where appearance prevails, mothers’ worries that their children may not reach the average height are on the rise, as is the popularity of growth treatments and growth clinics.

This isn’t new news, is it?

Actually, it is. Long ago, Koreans once valued people short in stature as either especially delicate and ladylike (if they were women) or gritty and robust (if they were men), a cultural ideal reflected in the adage, “The smaller the pepper, the bigger the spice.” Physical aspirations have changed, however, due in part to the spread of Western media. In a culture where there is a strong drive to obtain the “idyllic norm,” celebrities’ tall, slender figures make being short a reason to stand out for all the wrong reasons.

Nowadays children feel shame for being short. They fear becoming hwangdda, outcasts. Because competitive parents sense a correlation between height and future success, they are willing to spend time and money on their children’s physical growth.

What is treatment like?

Children can take supplements or use at-home remedies, but growth clinics are a growing business. Growth clinics offer a mix of Western and traditional Asian approaches. Methods include growth hormone injections, x-rays, blood tests and hair sample analysis, along with physical activity, posture-correcting and spine-extending devices, herbal brews, aromatherapy, yoga, massage and acupuncture.

Are Korean children experiencing barriers to growth?

Current social practices are counterproductive to growth, as many clinicians note. Long days sitting at a desk, lack of sleep, and stress all create a challenging environment for children to grow. While some factors regulating height are hereditary, children do need good nutrition, appetite, fitness, sleep and a steady diet before adolescence.

What is Human Growth Hormone (HGH)?

Hormone therapy is very effective in increasing height. In Korea, doses of human growth hormone are available on the commercial market and range from injections to oral sprays packaged similarly to children’s vitamins. Originally intended for children unable to produce the normal amount of hormone, HGH was once extracted from the pituitary glands of human cadavers. This very time-consuming process yielded very little hormone and thus was an extremely expensive and dangerous treatment. Many patients were contaminated with pathogens that caused serious disorders. Since that time, the development of safer methods and artificial HGH has brought down costs and the risk of side effects.

Only time – and height statistics – will tell, but the good news is that HGH therapy has been shown to be safe and effective in promoting vertical growth in children. So grow on, kids.