Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Happy Wonderer · 06-11-2003, 09:55 AM

FDA backs use of growth hormone to get rid of those pesky short people.

Quote:

The FDA has long fought cosmetic use of growth hormone, and now is struggling to define just what is meaningful, medically appropriate use of the drug in this new group of potential patients � without opening the floodgates to normal children yearning for a few extra inches.
Lilly�s treatment requirements include boys predicted to be shorter than 5 feet 3 inches as adults, and girls shorter than 4-feet 11 inches.

I want to know if there is a drug to keep kids from growing into those massive, wide-butted adults who seem to think that they have a right to 1/2 of a skinny short guy's airline seat...

hw (5'7" but was very short until late in high school. Didn't bother me a bit although I wasn't very good at basketball...)]

Edit: although I will admit that I get awfully tired of the phrase perhaps you can find something that fits in our young men's department."

NialScorva · 06-11-2003, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Happy Wonderer
FDA backs use of growth hormone to get rid of those pesky short people.

I want to know if there is a drug to keep kids from growing into those massive, wide-butted adults who seem to think that they have a right to 1/2 of a skinny short guy's airline seat...

hw (5'7" but was very short until late in high school. Didn't bother me a bit although I wasn't very good at basketball...)]

Edit: although I will admit that I get awfully tired of the phrase perhaps you can find something that fits in our young men's department."

As one of those "massive, wide-butted adults" (6'9" with legs and butt from years of fencing), I suggest you place the blame solely where it belongs: the ever narrowing airline seats and the completely unreasonable size estimates.

After all, my own personal bias is that we should get rid of short people. Raising the average would make clothes easier to find, doors in new buildings easier to get through (standard doorframe is 6'8", minus flooring and framing), and beds long enough to fit into.

pariah · 06-11-2003, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by NialScorva
As one of those "massive, wide-butted adults" (6'9" with legs and butt from years of fencing), I suggest you place the blame solely where it belongs: the ever narrowing airline seats and the completely unreasonable size estimates.

After all, my own personal bias is that we should get rid of short people. Raising the average would make clothes easier to find, doors in new buildings easier to get through (standard doorframe is 6'8", minus flooring and framing), and beds long enough to fit into.

holy shit youre big. well i think he means obese people who are of average height...

how hard was it to get the growth hormone before? i know a kid in hs who has been on them since 6th grade...he now stands at a mighty 5'9"

Craig · 06-11-2003, 03:17 PM

It's a tough call. I think it should be a choice for parents, but not necessarily given as "medicine" for short people. While there are certainly worse things than being 4'9" tall, if there was a safe and effective way to add 6" to an unusually short person's height I would imagine that most people would accept it.

I know I would (though at 6'5" maybe I already got my fair share?).

Ab_Normal · 06-11-2003, 04:24 PM

My kiddo is below average for both height and weight (I just had to find some charts to double check), and has been for most of her existence. She's in fourth grade, and claims that some of the first graders are taller than she is. But we never contemplated seeking medical intervention, probably because she's not that short.

simian · 06-11-2003, 06:54 PM

I was listening to NPR this afternoon. The doctor interviewed said it would about 2". Oh, and it would cost $20k/year. I assume it was 2" total height (5 cm).

Simian

Jeremy Pallant · 06-11-2003, 11:44 PM

What's the source of this growth hormone? As a child I was in the lower 3 percentile with regard to height, and my parents investigated the possibility of giving me growth hormone...which was derived from cadavers.

Problem was, there was a really nasty disease (the name of which I forget) that could be transmitted in this fashion. One boy I knew was given the growth hormone, and caught the disease. I wasn't, and given the alternative I'd rather be 5'5".

Anson · 06-12-2003, 02:58 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jeremy Pallant
What's the source of this growth hormone? As a child I was in the lower 3 percentile with regard to height, and my parents investigated the possibility of giving me growth hormone...which was derived from cadavers.

Problem was, there was a really nasty disease (the name of which I forget) that could be transmitted in this fashion. One boy I knew was given the growth hormone, and caught the disease. I wasn't, and given the alternative I'd rather be 5'5".

They don't get it that way anymore. They synthesize it. The disease you're referring to was "mad cow disease".

Ab_Normal · 06-12-2003, 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by simian
I was listening to NPR this afternoon. The doctor interviewed said it would about 2". Oh, and it would cost $20k/year. I assume it was 2" total height (5 cm).

Simian

I heard the same story, and concluded that my kid would stay short. Not only is it $20k a year, but it requires daily subcutaneous injections, for what amounts to a cosmetic reason. No way.

melinie007 · 06-14-2003, 03:07 AM

I can't believe I'm short enough to fucking qualify for growth hormone...

Seriously though, 20K for 2 inches just isn't worth it... But I'd take a few free inches any day...

But I disagree that it is just for cosmetic purporses... maybe for that boy limit but for the girl limit, remember being less than 5 ft is pretty damn short.... it depends how much you value reaching high shelves and hugging normal sized people???

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06-11-2003, 03:17 PM	#4
Craig Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 1,058	It's a tough call. I think it should be a choice for parents, but not necessarily given as "medicine" for short people. While there are certainly worse things than being 4'9" tall, if there was a safe and effective way to add 6" to an unusually short person's height I would imagine that most people would accept it. I know I would (though at 6'5" maybe I already got my fair share?).

06-11-2003, 04:24 PM	#5
Ab_Normal Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 2,842	My kiddo is below average for both height and weight (I just had to find some charts to double check), and has been for most of her existence. She's in fourth grade, and claims that some of the first graders are taller than she is. But we never contemplated seeking medical intervention, probably because she's not that short.

06-11-2003, 06:54 PM	#6
simian Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: St. Louis, MO area Posts: 1,924	I was listening to NPR this afternoon. The doctor interviewed said it would about 2". Oh, and it would cost $20k/year. I assume it was 2" total height (5 cm). Simian

06-11-2003, 11:44 PM	#7
Jeremy Pallant Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Tucson, Arizona, USA Posts: 1,242	What's the source of this growth hormone? As a child I was in the lower 3 percentile with regard to height, and my parents investigated the possibility of giving me growth hormone...which was derived from cadavers. Problem was, there was a really nasty disease (the name of which I forget) that could be transmitted in this fashion. One boy I knew was given the growth hormone, and caught the disease. I wasn't, and given the alternative I'd rather be 5'5".

06-14-2003, 03:07 AM	#10
melinie007 Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: canberra, australia Posts: 27	I can't believe I'm short enough to fucking qualify for growth hormone... Seriously though, 20K for 2 inches just isn't worth it... But I'd take a few free inches any day... But I disagree that it is just for cosmetic purporses... maybe for that boy limit but for the girl limit, remember being less than 5 ft is pretty damn short.... it depends how much you value reaching high shelves and hugging normal sized people???

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