Gary Barlow’s son towers above him, and he’s not the only celebrity child to have grown a good few feet taller than his parents. Interestingly, it would appear that wealth could well out-trump genetics when it comes to reaching great heights – literally
Fans of Gary Barlow were recently left amazed after seeing photographs of the Take That star’s 6ft 2 in son, sparking a number of savage height difference-related memes. And it turns out 5 ft 7 Gary, who is estimated to be worth an incredible £90 million, isn’t the only wealthy individual with much taller offspring.
Indeed, while many have wondered how Dan, 24, has grown to such heights with a relatively average-sized dad, the answer could lie in Gary’s bank account, not his genes.
British scientists have previously determined that while 80 per cent of how tall we are is determined by genetics, the remaining 20 per cent is determined by the environment in which we grow up in, including factors such as nutrition, disease, and psychological stress.
And if you’re a child of a household name celeb, chances are you may enjoy certain comforts that kids living in struggling homes sadly can only dream of.
A 2015 study of British children found that children in poorer neighbourhoods stood up to two-thirds of an inch (1.6 centimetres) shorter than those in affluent areas. Caroline Hancock, senior public health intelligence analyst at Public Health England, completed the research as part of her master’s thesis between the years 2008 and 2013.
Hancock and her co-authors, who published their findings in the Archives of Disease in Childhood, tracked the heights of one million primary school children in England aged four to five and aged 10 to 11 years old. She told Reuters Health: “The actual difference in height between the most and least deprived groups is small, but does highlight an ongoing inequality in population health which does need to be addressed.
“I feel that the data helps to highlight and monitor these issues and supports the work of health practitioners who are working to reduce inequalities across the population.”
In a separate 2005 study from the University of Bristol, it was concluded that children from privileged backgrounds were likely to be taller and leaner than those from impoverished families but may have weaker bones, making them more susceptible to breaks or osteoporosis in later life.
Meanwhile, over in the Stares, experts from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York told the American Heart Association Conference in Chicago that a childhood cushioned by wealth might well override all other height contributors on account of ‘better nutrition and societal resources to promote growth’.
Dan is far from the only celebrity child who towers above their parents. Bear Grylls, who at 6ft is tall by any standard, is still significantly shorter than his 18-year-old son, Marmaduke, who stands at 6 ft 4. Meanwhile, President-elect Donald Trump, who is a tall individual at 6 ft 2, looks positively short next to his 18-year-old son Barron, who is 6 ft 7.
Interestingly, a 2020 study from researchers at the Renmin University of China in Beijing showed that taller people in turn, are more likely to become higher earners, estimating that each additional centimetre is associated with a 1.30 per cent increase in annual salary.
This does make you wonder, with all these factors considered, just how tall Gary’s potential grandchildren may one day be…
Do you have a story to share? Email me at [email protected]. Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads