Is there a way to test how old someone is?

Question

I was reading the controversy about under age gymnists and was wondering, is there a way to test to see how old someone is? There are so many new things, is there anything like this?

(Here's the link to the article . . . http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/27/sports/olympics/27gymnasts.html?no_interstitial)

Answer 1

Age can only be determined via accurate and reliable birth records. There is no way to do it via analysis of the human body, or anything like that.

If a country's government is actually doctoring birth records in order to flout official policies, I don't think there's much that can be done to prove it either way.

Answer 2

i'm sure interested in finding out the answer.

good luck! :)

Answer 3

No, there are too many variables in the body to accurately determine age. For instance, your skeleton completely renews itself every 7 years, so you cant use bones.

Answer 4

I am sure there is I just don't know the name of the procedure.  Like when people are dead and there are only the remains they can find out that the person is between this age and this age.  Now when they're alive, there's more information available.  I hope they straighten this out.

Answer 5

yeah.... just ask them!

Answer 6

You count the rings around their ***!

Answer 7

Yes there is an accurate medical way used to measure anybody under about 20's correct chronological age. That  is by observing how much the bones in their body area have matured using x rays. All healthy children reach same skeletal maturity and each bone passes through the same sequence of change of shape as it grows so this could prove whether or not the Chinese Authorities are lying in this situation.

Another way involves counting the number of the child's teeth that have erupted as well as comparing amounts of dental calcification as seen by x rays with standard values. This too can pinpoint any child's true age.

But physical age of people over about 20 is impossible to accurately assess except by physical appearance. Some adults successfully deceive as to their true age. For example I know of one guy who is really 71 who gets away with telling his employer he is only 60 just so he can stay in work. Though of course if he had to show his passport or driving license his lie would have been exposed..