Nature and Nurture

Characteristics like height are not only shaped by several genes referred to as the influence of nature but also by various environmental factors collectively called nurture.

For example, poor nutrition during childhood such as a lack of protein can stunt an individual's growth causing them to be shorter at adulthood than they would have been with better nutrition. Interestingly, improvements in nutrition likely contributed to a gradual increase in average height since the early 20th century. A trend particularly evident in certain regions of the Americas, Europe and Asia.

However, evidence also exists that children's emotional environments like chronic stress and a lack of socialization interferes with levels of growth hormones in the body decreasing them and similarly curbing stature. So, sometimes it's the interplay between nature and nurture that dictates the final appearance of a phenotype like someone's height and even whether that person develops cancer or heart disease later in life.