Shortness in children and young adults nearly always results from below - average growth in childhood .
Shortness in older adults usually results from loss of height due to kyphosis of the spine or collapsed vertebrae from osteoporosis .
Shortness in children and young adults nearly always results from below - average growth in childhood , while shortness in older adults usually results from loss of height due to kyphosis of the spine or collapsed vertebrae from osteoporosis .