iStock/Thinkstock(CHICAGO) — Kids grow up so fast, the old saying goes, but that’s not really the case if you compare them to other mammals. However, one part of the body that seems to be on overdrive in the growth department is the brain, according to Northwestern University researchers.
They’ve concluded the reason why the body takes its time reaching its maximum height — usually age 18 for males, 16 for female — is because the brain requires more energy to grow.
For instance, a five-year-old’s glucose intake is twice that of an adult while during the growth peak, it means the brain will actually burn through two-thirds of the body’s calories when at rest.
As study co-author Christopher Kuzawa explains, “Our bodies can’t afford to grow faster during the toddler and childhood years because a huge quantity of resources is required to fuel the developing human brain.”
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