Essential adiposity positively influences growth during childhood, but little is known about its effects on final height. A study was performed in 39 subjects (20 males and 19 females, mean age 10.7 for males, and 8.2 years for females) affected by essential adiposity to assess height during and at the end of the developmental age. During childhood the height of adipose subjects included in the study exceeded the mean values for matched chronological ages from the British reference sample (0.716 SDS for males, 0.587 for females). In adulthood, this advantage was completely reversed: the height of males in the study was in line with mean values (0.069 SDS), whereas the females were slightly under the mean height of the reference group (0.165 SDS). Since height is known to be heavily influenced by genetic factors, the results have been corrected for genetic bias. Improved results are obtained following correction for genetic influence: males (0.890 SDS), females (0.584 SDS). In conclusion, childhood adiposity has a positive influence on growth during the developmental age, and also appears to have a positive influence on genetic potential, as may be deduced from the height of the parents, thus improving final height.