Eating a lot of sugar won't stunt your child's growth by itself, but if your child is eating a lot of sugary foods or drinking sugar-packed beverages at the expense of other, nutritionally-rich foods, his sugar habit could affect his height.

What stops growth in height?

Bones increase in length because of growth plates in the bones called epiphyses. As puberty progresses, the growth plates mature, and at the end of puberty they fuse and stop growing.

Does sugar help growth?

Scientists at the Monell Center have conducted research that links an affinity for sweet treats to growth patterns in children, finding that children in periods of more rapid growth have a higher preference for candy and other sugary foods.