CLAIM: Sachin Tendulkar is 5'5", Anjali Tendulkar is 5'6", so how is their son Arjun Tendulkar is 6'3"?

FACT: A diet rich in high-quality protein can significantly contribute to an individual's height, potentially surpassing that of their parents, alongside the influence of genetics

The video begins with a person posing an intriguing question about the height of celebrity children:

“Friends, I’ve always wondered: Sachin Tendulkar is 5 feet 5 inches tall, and his wife is 5 feet 6 inches. How is their son, Arjun Tendulkar, 6 feet 3 inches tall?”

The influencer responds by promising an explanation.

“You may have noticed that many celebrities with shorter stature often have much taller children,” he remarks. “Take Saif Ali Khan’s son, Sachin Tendulkar’s child, Ronit Roy’s child, or Shah Rukh Khan’s son, for example.”

He then outlines the reasons behind this phenomenon.

“We often think that height depends entirely on genetics, specifically on our parents. If the parents are short, their children will also be short. But that’s not entirely true,” he explains. “Genetics doesn’t just come from our parents—it also draws from our grandparents, great-grandparents, and ancestors. If someone in your family tree was tall, it’s possible your children could inherit that trait.”

The influencer also highlights the critical role of nutrition in a child’s growth.

“Beyond genetics, nutrition plays a vital role. If children receive proper nutrition—especially sufficient protein intake from a young age—it supports growth hormones that contribute to height,” he elaborates. “Celebrities can afford this, and that’s why their children often benefit from such diets. If you can provide your child with a protein-rich diet, please do so. It can enhance their growth, making them taller than you, and this benefit could extend to their offspring as well.”

Let’s break down the science behind height growth and the factors beyond genetics that play a role.

Science behind height

The genetic factors that contribute to an individual’s height are referred to as the heritability of height. 

According to an article by molecular biologist Dr. Chao-Qiang Lai in Scientific American,  an American Science magazine, “about 60 to 80 percent of the difference in height between individuals is determined by genetic factors, whereas 20 to 40 percent can be attributed to environmental effects, mainly nutrition.”

However, height heritability, according to Dr Lai can vary from one population to another, and even from men to women. For example, in the US, the heritability of height was estimated as 80 percent for white men. 

“In Asian populations, the heritability of height is much lower than 80 percent,” the article states with heritability for Chinese and African population  going down to 65 percent. 

A research by the University of Queensland draws the same conclusions: ”It’s estimated that about 80 percent of a normal healthy individual’s height is controlled by heritable genetic factors…The remaining 20% is determined by environmental factors such as nutrition and healthcare in childhood”.

Another study concludes that nutrition affects growth more in the postnatal (after birth) period than in the prenatal (before birth) period. “In general, protein is the most essential single nutrient, followed by minerals and vitamins A and D,” the study states. 

Dr Rajni Sharma, Assistant Professor, Paediatrics, Paediatric Endocrinologist, AIIMS, New Delhi told First Check that while heredity determines an individual's genetic potential for height, nutrition, particularly protein intake, plays a crucial role in whether this potential is fully realized.

"Heredity will determine one's genetic potential, but one's protein intake, in addition to some other factors, could determine whether one fulfils, exceeds or fails to fulfil one's this potential,” Dr Sharma said. 

“The protein intake that's necessary to  achieve one's height potential is the age-wise recommended dietary allowance (RDA) based on Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) guidelines. Anything less than the RDA for longer periods of time could result in a shortfall in achieving one genetic potential pertaining to one's achievable height," she added. 

Elaborating further, Dr Sharma said: “Height is genetically determined by the parent’s height. Generally a child’s adult height reaches an average of the two parents' height which is the mean of parent’s height- 6.5 cm in girls and + 6.5 cm in boys. This is known as the target height.”

So the claim is true. A diet rich in protein, along with proper healthcare during childhood, can help children reach their full height potential, and in some cases, even surpass their parents' height. Therefore, while the height of individuals like Arjun Tendulkar and that of the sons of Shahrukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan and Ronit Roy might seem surprising, a combination of genetics and nutrition likely contributes to such growth.

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