Human height

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"Stature" redirects here. For the comic book character, see Stature (comics).


Human height varies according to both "nature" and "nurture". The particular human genome that and individual inherits is a large part of the first variable (nature) and a combination of health and environmental factors present before adulthood (when growth stops) are a major part of the second determinant ("nurture"). Hereditary factors include both genes and chromosomes, and are inborn. Environmental factors are events that occur before adult height is reached, such as diet, exercise, and living conditions.

When populations share genetic background and environmental factors, average height is frequently characteristic within the group. Exceptional height variation (around 20% deviation from average) within such a population is usually due to gigantism or dwarfism; which are medical conditions due to specific genes or to endocrine abnormalities. In regions of extreme poverty or prolonged warfare, environmental factors like malnutrition during childhood and/or adolescence may account for marked reductions in adult stature even without the presence of any of these medical conditions. This is one reason that immigrant populations from regions of extreme poverty to regions of plenty may show an increase in stature, despite sharing the same gene pool.

The average height for each sex within a population is significantly different, with adult males being (on average) taller than adult females. This difference may be attributed to sex chromosomal differences, XY (male) as opposed to XX (female). Women ordinarily reach their greatest height at a younger age than men. Vertical growth stops when the long bones stop lengthening, which occurs with the closure of epiphyseal plates. These plates are bone growth centers that disappear ("close") under the hormonal surges brought about by the completion of puberty. Puberty generally occurs several years earlier in young women than in young men, and so final adult height is reached earlier in women. Adult height for one sex in a particular ethnic group follows more or less a normal distribution.

Adult height between ethnic groups often differs significantly, as presented in detail in the chart below. For example, the average height of women from the Czech Republic is currently greater than that of men from Malawi. This may be due to genetic differences, to childhood lifestyle differences (nutrition, sleep patterns, physical labor) or to both.

At 2.57 metres (8 ft 5.5 in), Leonid Stadnyk is the world's tallest living man and is from Zhytomyr Oblast in the Ukraine. The tallest man in modern history was Robert Pershing Wadlow from Illinois in the United States, who was born in 1918 and stood 2.72 m (8 ft 11.1 inches) at the time of his death in 1940.

The maximal height that an individual attains in adulthood is not maintained throughout life if that life is a very long one. Again, depending on chromosomal (male v. female), genetic, and environmental factors, there is shrinkage of stature that may begin in middle age in some individuals but is universal in the extremely aged. This decrease in height is due to such factors as decreased height of inter-vertebral discs because of desiccation, atrophy of soft tissues, and postural changes secondary to degenerative disease.

Average adult height around the world

Below are average adult heights by country. (The original studies and sources should be consulted for details on methodology and the exact populations measured, surveyed, or considered.)  

Country/Region Average male height Average female height Sample population /
age range 		Methodology Year Source
Argentina 174.46 cm (5 ft 8.6 in) 161.03 cm (5 ft 3.4 in) 18–19 Measured 2001 [1]
Australia 178.4 cm (5' 10.2") 163.9 cm (5' 4.5") 18–24 Measured 1995 [2]
Australia 174.8 cm (5' 8.8") 161.4 cm (5' 3.5") 18+ Measured 1995 [2]
Bahrain 165.1 cm (5' 5") 154.7 cm (5' 1") 19+ Measured 2002 [3]
Belgium 176.6 cm (5' 9.5") 163.3 cm (5' 4.3") Adults [4]
Brazil 169.0 cm (5' 6.5") 158.0 cm (5' 2.2") 21–65 Measured 2003 [5][6]
Cameroon 170.6 cm (5' 7.2") 161.3 cm (5' 3.5") Urban Measured 2003 [7]
Canada 174 cm (5' 8.5") 161.0 cm (5' 3.4") Adults Measured 2005 [8]
China (PRC) 164.8 cm (5' 4.9") 154.5 cm (5' 0.8") 30–65 Measured 1997 [9]
China (PRC) 170.2 cm (5' 7") 158.6 cm (5' 2.5") Urban, 17 Measured 2002 [10]
China (PRC) 166.3 cm (5' 5.5") 157.0 cm (5' 2") Rural, 17 Measured 2002 [10]
Colombia 170.64 cm (5' 7.2") 158.65 cm (5' 2.4") 18–22 Measured 2002 [11]
Côte d’Ivoire 170.1 cm (5' 7") 159.1 cm (5' 2.7") 25–29 Measured 1985–1987 [12]
Czech Republic 180.3 cm (5' 11") 167.3 cm (5' 6.0") 18 Measured 2005 [13]
Denmark 180.6 cm (5' 11.1") Conscripts, 19 Measured 2006 [14]
Dinaric Alps 185.6 cm (6' 1.0") 171.0 cm (5' 7.2") 17 Measured 2005 [15]
Estonia 179.1 cm (5' 10.5") 17 2003 [16]
Finland 176.6 cm (5' 9.5") 163.5 cm (5' 4.3") Self-reported 2000 [17]
Finland 178.2 cm (5' 10") 164.7 cm (5' 4.7") 15–64 Self-reported 2004 [18]
France 174.1 cm (5' 8.5") 161.9 cm (5' 3.7") 20+ Measured 2003 [19]
France 177.0 cm (5' 9.6") 164.6 cm (5' 4.8") 20–29 Measured 2003 [19]
Ghana 169.46 cm (5' 6.7") 158.53 cm (5' 2.4") 25–29 Measured 1987–1989 [20]
Gambia 168.0 cm (5' 6.1") 157.8 cm (5' 2.2") Rural, 21–49 Measured [21]
Germany 178.1 cm (5' 10") 165 cm (5' 4.9") Entire population 2005 [22][23]
Germany 180.3 cm (5' 11") 167 cm (5' 6") 18–19 2005 [22][23]
Guatemala (Maya people) 157.5 cm (5' 2") 142.2 cm (4' 6") 20 [24]
Hong Kong 171 cm (5' 7.2") 158.8 cm (5' 2.6") 17 2005–2006 [25]
Hungary, Debrecen 179.14 cm (5' 10.4") 165.84 cm (5' 5.2") University students 1986-1992 [26]
Iceland 181.7 cm (5' 11.5") 167.6 cm (5' 6") 20 [27]
India 165.3 cm (5' 5") 165.3 cm (5' 5") 20 Measured 2005–2006 [28]
India 161.2 cm (5' 3.46") 152.1 cm (4' 11.88") 17+ Measured 2007 [29]
Indonesia 158.0 cm (5' 2.2") 147.0 cm (4' 10.0") 50+ Self-reported 1997 [30]
Indonesia, East Bali 162.4 cm (5' 3.9") 151.3 cm (4' 11.5") 19–23 Measured 1995 [31]
Iran 173.39 cm (5' 8.3") 160.0 cm (5' 3") 21-25 Measured 2005 [32]
Iraq 165.4 cm (5' 5.1") 155.8 cm (5' 1.3") 18–44 Measured 1999–2000 [33]
Israel 175.6 cm (5' 9.2") 162.7 cm (5' 4.1") 20–30 Measured 1980–2000 [34]
Italy - Middle & North 176.9 cm (5' 9.7") 163.2 cm (5' 4.2") 20 1994–2000 [35]
Italy - South 174.2 cm (5' 8.0") 160.8 cm (5' 3.3") 20 1994–2000 [35]
Japan 170.9 cm (5' 7.3") 158.8 cm (5' 2.6") 25–29 2006 [36]
Korea, South 175 cm (5' 9") 162 cm (5' 3.8") 20-24 2006 [37]
Lithuania 176.3 cm (5' 9.4") Conscripts, 19-25 Measured 2006 [38]
Malaysia 164.7 cm (5' 4.8") 153.3 cm (5' 0.4") 20+ Measured 1996 [39]
Malta 169 cm (5' 6.5") 159 cm (5' 2.6") Adults Self-reported 2003 [40]
Malta 175.2 cm (5' 9") 163.8 cm (5' 4.5") 25–34 Self-reported 2003 [40]
Malawi 166 cm (5' 5.3") 155 cm (5' 1.1") Urban, 16–60 Measured 2000 [41]
Mali 171.3 cm (5' 7.4") 160.4 cm (5' 3.2") Rural Measured 1992 [42]
Mexico, State of Morelos 167 cm (5' 5.7") 155 cm (5' 1.1") Adults Self-reported 1998 [43]
Netherlands 184.8 cm (6' 0.8") 168.7 cm (5' 6.4") 20–30 Measured 2004 [44]
New Zealand 177.0 cm (5' 11") 165.0 cm (5' 5") 19–45 Estimates 1993-2007 [45]
Nigeria 163.8 cm (5' 4.5") 157.8 cm (5' 2.1") 25–74 Measured 1994–1996

[46]

Norway 179.9 cm (5' 10.8") 167.2 cm (5' 5.9") Male conscripts 18–19; female unknown Measured 2007 [47]
Philippines 163.5 cm (5' 4.4") 151.8 cm (4' 11.8") 20–39 Measured 2003 [48]
Portugal 172.8 cm (5' 8") Conscipts, 21 Measured 1998–99 [49]
Singapore 172.0 cm (5' 7.8") 160 cm (5' 3") 17–25 2003 [50]
South Africa 169.0 cm (5' 6.5") 159.0 cm (5' 2.5") 25–64 Measured 1998 [51]
Spain 170 cm (5' 7") 161 cm (5' 3.3") Entire population Self-reported 2003 [52]
Spain 177 cm (5' 9.7") 164.3 cm (5' 4.6") 18–29 Self reported 2003 [52]Encuesta Nacional de Salud
Spain 178 cm (5' 10") 165 cm (5' 4.7") 21 Measured 2000 [53]
Sweden 180 cm (5' 10.9") 166.9 cm (5' 5.7") 16-24 Measured.[54] 2005 [55]
Switzerland 175.5 cm (5' 9") 164.0 cm (5' 3.8") [17]
Taiwan 172.04 cm (5' 7.73") 159.68 cm (5' 2.75") 18.5 [56]
Thailand 167.5 cm (5' 5.9") 157.3 cm (5' 1.9") STOU university student Self-reported 1991–1995 [57]
Turkey, Province of Edirne 173.8 cm (5' 8.5") 161.4 cm (5' 3.5") 17 Measured 2001 [58]
United Kingdom 175.2 cm (5' 8.9") 161.6 cm (5' 3.6") 16+ Measured 2006 [59]
United Kingdom 176.7 cm (5' 9.6") 163.7 cm (5' 4.4") 16–24 Measured 2006 [59]
U.S. 175.8 cm (5' 9.3") 162.0 cm (5' 3.8") 20+ Measured 1999–2002 [60]
U.S. 170.3 cm (5' 7.3") 158.5 cm (5' 2.5") White Americans, 20–39 Measured 1999–2007 [60]
U.S. 170.8 cm (5' 7.6") 160.0 cm (5' 3.6") African-Americans, 20–39 Measured 1999–2007 [60]
U.S. 160.3 cm (5' 3.8") 156.1 cm (5' 1.7") Mexican-Americans, 20–39 Measured 1999–2007 [60]
U.S. (South Texas) 169.5 cm (5' 6.3") 159.6 cm (5' 2.8") Mexican-Americans, 17 Measured 1998–1999 [61]
Vietnam 162.1 cm (5' 4") 152.2 cm (5' 00") 25–29 Measured 1992–1993 [62]

Determinants of growth and height

An example of human growth velocity under optimal conditions (Courtesy: Richard Steckel)

The study of human growth is known as auxology. Growth and height have long been recognized as a measure of the health and wellness of individuals, hence part of the reasoning for the use of growth charts. For individuals, as indicators of health problems, growth trends are tracked for significant deviations and growth is also monitored for significant deficiency from genetic expectations. Genetics is a major factor in determining the height of individuals, though it is far less influential in regard to populations. Average height is increasingly used as a measure of the health and wellness (standard of living and quality of life) of populations. Attributed as a significant reason for the trend of increasing height in parts of Europe is the egalitarian populations where proper medical care and adequate nutrition are relatively equally distributed. Changes in diet (nutrition) and a general rise in quality of health care and standard of living are the cited factors in the Asian populations. Average height in the United States has remained essentially stagnant since the 1950s even as the racial and ethnic background of residents has shifted. Severe malnutrition is known to cause stunted growth in North Korean, portions of African, certain historical European, and other populations. Diet (in addition to needed nutrients; such things as junk food and attendant health problems such as obesity), exercise, fitness, pollution exposure, sleep patterns, climate (see Allen's rule and Bergmann's Rule for example), and even happiness (psychological well-being) are other factors that can affect growth and final height.

File:Galton-height-regress.jpg
Sir Francis Galton's (1889) data showing the relationship between offspring height (928 individuals) as a function of mean parent height (205 sets of parents). Heritability (h^2) is equal to the slope of the regression line, 0.57.

Height is, like other phenotypic traits, determined by a combination of genetics and environmental factors. Genetic potential plus nutrition minus stressors is a basic formula. Genetically speaking, the heights of mother and son and of father and daughter correlate, suggesting that a short mother will more likely bear a shorter son, and tall fathers will have tall daughters.[63] Humans grow fastest (other than in the womb) as infants and toddlers (birth to roughly age 2) and then during the pubertal growth spurt. A slower steady growth velocity occurs throughout childhood between these periods; and some slow, steady, declining growth after the pubertal growth spurt levels off is common. These are also critical periods where stressors such as malnutrition (or even severe child neglect) have the greatest effect. Conversely, if conditions are optimal then growth potential is maximized; and also there is catch-up growth — which can be significant — for those experiencing poor conditions when those conditions improve.

Moreover, the health of a mother throughout her life, especially during her critical periods, and of course during pregnancy, has a role. A healthier child and adult develops a body that is better able to provide optimal prenatal conditions. The pregnant mother's health is important as gestation is itself a critical period for an embryo/fetus, though some problems affecting height during this period are resolved by catch-up growth assuming childhood conditions are good. Thus, there is an accumulative generation effect such that nutrition and health over generations influences the height of descendants to varying degrees.

The age of the mother also has some influence on the her child's height. Although 2 Esdras recorded that "Those born in the strength of youth" were taller than "those born during the time of old age, when the womb is failing"[64], studies in modern times have observed a gradual increase in height with maternal age.[65][66][67]

The precise relationship between genetics and environment is complex and uncertain. Human height is 90% heritable[68] and has been considered polygenic since the Mendelian-biometrician debate a hundred years ago.[69] The only gene so far attributed with normal height variation is HMGA2. This is only one of many, as each copy of the allele concerned confers an additional 0.4 cm, accounting for just 0.3% of population variance.[68]

Race and height

See also: Race and health, Race and intelligence, height and intelligence, and health and intelligence

The Nilotic peoples of Sudan such as the Dinka have been described as the tallest in the world, with the males in some communities having average heights of 1.9 m (6 ft 3 in) and females at 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in).[70] A notable example is Manute Bol, who, at 2.31 m (7 ft 7 in), was the tallest basketball player in the NBA. The Dinka are characterized as having long legs, narrow bodies and short trunks, an adaptation to hot weather.[71] However, a 1995 study casts doubt on the claim of extraordinary height in Dinka, which after studying the average height of Dinka males in one location, listed the actual number as 1.76 m (5 ft 9.45 in.)[72] Adults of Pygmy people have an approximate average height of 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in).[citation needed]

Process of growth

Growth in stature, determined by its various factors, results from the lengthening of bones via cellular divisions chiefly regulated by somatotropin (human growth hormone (hGH)) secreted by the anterior pituitary gland. Somatotropin also stimulates the release of another growth inducing hormone insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) mainly by the liver. Both hormones operate on most tissues of the body, have many other functions, and continue to be secreted throughout life; with peak levels coinciding with peak growth velocity, and gradually subsiding with age after adolescence. The bulk of secretion occurs in bursts (especially for adolescents) with the largest during sleep. Exercise promotes secretion[citation needed]. Adolescents who take steroids can experience stunted growth[citation needed]. A positive net nutrition is also important, with proteins and various other nutrients especially important[citation needed].

The majority of linear growth occurs as growth of cartilage at the epiphysis (ends) of the long bones which gradually ossify to form hard bone. The legs compose approximately half of adult human height, and leg length is a somewhat sexually dimorphic trait. Height is also attained from growth of the spine, and contrary to popular belief, men are the "leggier" sex[citation needed] with a longer leg to torso ratio, conversely to women's longer torso to leg ratio. (The illusion of the proportion being the other way around is caused by fatty deposits placed high on women's hips.) Some of this growth occurs after the growth spurt of the long bones has ceased or slowed. The majority of growth during growth spurts is of the long bones. Additionally, the variation in height between populations and across time is largely due to changes in leg length. The remainder of height consists of the cranium. Height is sexually dimorphic and statistically it is more or less normally distributed, but with heavy tails.

Height abnormalities

Most intra-population variance of height is genetic. Short stature and tall stature are usually not a health concern. If the degree of deviation from normal is significant, hereditary short stature is known as familial short stature and tall stature is known as familial tall stature. Confirmation that exceptional height is normal for a respective person can be ascertained from comparing stature of family members and analyzing growth trends for abrupt changes, among others. There are, however, various diseases and disorders that cause growth abnormalities. Most notably, extreme height may be pathological, such as gigantism (very rare) resulting from childhood hyperpituitarism, and dwarfism which has various causes. Rarely, no cause can be found for extreme height; very short persons may be termed as having idiopathic short stature. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2003 approved hGH treatment for those 2.25 standard deviations below the population mean (approximately the lowest 1.2% of the population). An even rarer occurrence, or at least less used term and recognized "problem", is idiopathic tall stature.

If not enough growth hormone is produced and/or secreted by the pituitary gland, then a patient with growth hormone deficiency can undergo treatment. This treatment involves the injection of pure growth hormone into thick tissue to promote growth.

Role of an individual's height

Tallness has been suggested to be associated with better cardio-vascular health and overall better-than-average health and longevity (Njolstad et al. 1996,[73] McCarron et al 2002[74]). However, height may not be causative of better health and longevity (Miura et al. 2002). Other studies have found no association, or suggest that shorter stature is associated with better health (Samaras & Elrick, 1999[75]). On the other hand, being excessively tall can cause various medical problems, including cardiovascular issues, due to the increased load on the heart to supply the body with blood, and issues resulting from the increased time it takes the brain to communicate with the extremities. For example, Robert Wadlow, the tallest man known to verifiable history, developed walking difficulties as his height continued to increase throughout his life. In many of the pictures of the later portion of his life, Wadlow can be seen gripping something for support. Late in his life he was forced to wear braces on his legs and to walk with a cane, and he died after developing an infection in his legs because he was unable to feel the irritation and cutting caused by his leg braces (it is important to note that he died in 1940, before the widespread use of modern antibiotics). Height extremes of either excessive tallness or shortness can cause social exclusion and discrimination for both men and women (heightism).

Epidemiological studies have also demonstrated a positive correlation between height and intelligence. The reasons for this association appear to include that height serves as a biomarker of nutritional status or general mental and physical health during development, that common genetic factors may influence both height and intelligence, and that both height and intelligence are affected by adverse early environmental exposures.

Main article: Height and intelligence

In addition, an individual's height can be largely a part of what social clique, or group that they fall in to, though this is usually associated with pre-teens and teenagers. For example, in some schools, students on the basketball team might be "cool," and those with short stature wouldn't likely make the team. Therefore, in some cases, this could contribute to them being classified as "uncool," which can be detrimental to that particular individual's self-esteem. A study done on men in Sweden has shown that there is a strong correlation between subnormal stature and suicide.[76]

This can also sometimes be translated over into the corporate world. Individuals with short stature can sometimes appear to not have any leadership ability or power, since some people might not take them seriously due to their short stature. However, this is not always the case with most employers. Historically this assumption has not always reflected reality; for instance Napoleon was not much taller than 1.5 m (5 ft) according to sources (though Napoleon's height is subject to great debate, and he may have been as tall as 1.67 m (5 ft 6 in), see Napoleon's height for further information). Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuit order was 1.5 m (5 ft). Both Lenin and Stalin were of below average height. A modern example would be Deng Xiaoping of China who undertook massive reforms to the Chinese economy in the 1980s and was reported to have only been 1.55 m (5 ft 2 in).

In Sports

File:Munich 1972.jpg
Height helps basketballers get closer to the hoop and pass over opponents

Height often plays a crucial role in sports. For most sports, height is useful as it affects the leverage between muscle volume and bones towards greater speed of movement. It is most valuable in sports like basketball and volleyball, where the "short" players are almost always well above average in height compared to the general population. In men's professional basketball, the guards, the smallest players, are usually around 6'0" to 6'7" (1.83 to 2.01 m), and the centers, the tallest players, are generally from 6'10" to 7'2" (2.08 to 2.18 m). In some sports, such as horse racing, auto racing, figure skating, diving, and gymnastics, a smaller frame is more valuable.

In other sports, the role of height is specific to particular positions (i.e . In American Football, running backs have an advantage if they are shorter than the defenders due to lower centers of gravity and decreased visibility.) In Rugby Union height is vital for key positions such as Second Row who catch the ball while being hoisted up in lineouts. In Australian rules football and Gaelic football, the ruckman and centres play a similar role, to reach for the ball in the air at the starting of play. In weightlifting shorter levers are advantageous and taller than average competitors usually compete in the 105 kg + group. In amateur wrestling shorter competitors weigh less thus having the advantage of being able to compete at lower weight classes.

Australian rules football

Taller Australian rules footballers can take more contested marks, spoils and hitouts to advantage.

Height (or vertical leap) is a considerable advantage in Australian rules football, due to the focus on aerial Marking kicks as a key tactic. Players with the ability to consistently take high or spectacular high marks are often the most sought after. Height is particularly important at professional Australian Football League level.

The Followers in Australian rules football represent the wide range of heights required for specialist positions. Each team has at least one ruckman (and sometimes up to 3 or 4), which is a specialist position requiring height and leap. In the AFL, the average height of ruckmen is over 200cm (6' 7") tall and weight of over 100 kg. Aaron Sandilands and Peter Street are both 211 cm (6' 11") tall (the tallest in the history of the game) while Dean Cox, Dean Brogan, David Hille, Josh Fraser, Peter Everitt, Darren Jolly, Steven King, Brad Ottens, Mark Seaby, David Hale, Hamish McIntosh, Jason Laycock, Kurt Tippett, Brad Moran, Matthew Leuenberger, Robert Warnock, Cameron Wood, and Aisake O'hAilpin are all notable current AFL players over 200cm in height. Jim Stynes, Adam Goodes and Scott Wynd are ruckmen who have been awarded the game's highest honour, the Brownlow Medal in recent years. New centre square rules have had a huge advantage for taller players. Several professional athletic basketball players have been recruited by the AFL to play in the ruck.

The term key position player is used to define typically very tall players whose primary role is to take contested marks. There are usually 4 or more in a team including the full-forward, full-back, Centre half-back and Centre half-forward. In the AFL in 2008, the average centre half position is over 195cm (6' 5") and the average full position player is about 190cm (6' 3"). Historically short players have been used for "crumbing", that is to pick the ball up at ground level when it is brought to ground by taller players. Short players usually occupy the rover (follower) midfield position and the forward and back pockets where this situation is most likely to happen. Crumbers are particularly useful in wet weather matches when the ball is on the ground more often than in the air.

Trends of height in the AFL have changed over the years. In 2006, the average height of an AFL player grew to 188cm (6' 2"). The term "prototype footballer" or "model footballer" is used to describe a player who could play almost any position on the ground. In 2005, Anthony Koutoufides was seen as the model footballer - tall and athletic. The professional game has since evolved, with more successful teams employing a open run and carry style of play with use of faster runners and using handball and low short kicks to maintain possession and avoid marking contests. Despite the increase of height of ruckmen, the average height for AFL players has dropped back to 186cm (6 foot) in 2008 and the new prototype footballer is generally considered to be Chris Judd - above average height and exceptionally quick off the mark. The shortest in the history of the AFL was just 154cm, but these are now rare in the AFL, with the shortest players all being over 170cm (5' 7") in height. With few exceptions, players shorter than 175cm are ignored in the AFL Draft. Shorter players in the AFL are now exceptionally quick and rather than simply crumb, they must be capable of finding open space on a lead to mark the ball uncontested.

Football (Association Football)

In Football (association football), tall goalkeepers have an advantage because they have greater armspans and can jump higher easily, examples include Vanja Iveša, Zeljko Kalac and Edwin van der Sar. As such, one will rarely see a short goalkeeper at the professional level. A relatively short goalkeeper today is Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi. However, it should be noted that goalkeepers will have an easier time reaching low shots as they can reach the ground fractionally sooner than taller keepers. In wide positions and certain attacking ones, height is not always important, with some of the best players in the world (e.g. Garrincha, Messi, Romário and Maradona) being shorter than average and in many cases gaining an advantage with their low center of gravity. However, height is generally considered advantageous for central defenders and for forwards who usually aim to score with their head, for instance: Jan Koller, Nikola Žigić, Ruud van Nistelrooy, John Carew, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Luca Toni, Peter Crouch, and the tallest active outfield player, Yang Changpeng.

Cricket

Similarly, in cricket, some great batsmen like Donald Bradman 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m), Sachin Tendulkar 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m), Brian Lara 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m), Sunil Gavaskar 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m) and Aravinda De Silva 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m) are/were short. On the other hand, many successful fast bowlers are/were well over 6 ft (1.8 m); for example past greats Joel Garner, Courtney Walsh, and Curtly Ambrose were all 6'6" (198 cm) or taller. Glenn McGrath is also 6'5½" (197 cm). In general, taller bowlers have a higher point of release in their bowling action, making it easier for them to make the ball rear-up from a length. Also, they can generate more pace with longer arms and the sling action associated with bowling. But, taller batsmen also have greater ease of hitting the ball compared to short-heighted. Some greats like Clive Lloyd are above 6 ft (1.8 m). As far as bowler's speed goes some of the fastest Modern Cricket bowlers have ranged from 5'11' Shoaib Akhtar, 6'1 1/2" Brett Lee, though a wider range of 5'10" Malcolm Marshall to 6'4 Michael Holding has been observed. However it is rare to see very fast bowlers outside the range of 5'7" to 6'6".

Rowing

In rowing, being tall is a big advantage, because the taller a rower is, the longer his or her stroke can potentially be, thus moving the boat more effectively. The average male Olympic rower is 6'3.5", and the average female Olympic rower is 5'8",[77] well over the average height.

Rugby union

File:Lineout Throw.jpg
Locks are tall and typically the target of a rugby lineout

In rugby union, lineout jumpers, generally Template:Locks, are usually the tallest players on the pitch, as this increases their chance of winning clean ball, whereas Template:Scrum-half are usually relatively short. As examples, current world-class locks Victor Matfield, Chris Jack, and Paul O'Connell are all at least 6'6"/1.98 m, and Simon Shaw even gets up to roughly 6'9", while the sport's all-time leader in international appearances, scrum-half George Gregan, is 5'8"/1.73m. Currently the tallest professional players are Devin Toner and Andries Bekker, who are both 6'10". The tallest man ever to have played was 7'0" tall Richard Metcalfe.

Rugby league

Unlike rugby union, height is not generally seen as important, often extreme height being a hindrance rather than a useful attribute.[78][79] Second-row forwards are generally not as tall as their rugby union counterparts due to the absence of line-outs. However, recent tactics of cross-field kicking have resulted in the success of taller outside backs. Israel Folau (196 cm), Greg Inglis (195 cm), Shaun Kenny-Dowall (195 cm), Mark Gasnier (194 cm), Colin Best (189 cm), Manu Vatuvei (189 cm), Jarryd Hayne (188 cm), Krisnan Inu (185 cm) and Jason Nightingale (185 cm) are examples of the trend in taller wingers and centres, and are both known for their remarkable jumping skills in defense or attack.

American football (gridiron)

In American Football, a tall quarterback is at an advantage because it is easier for him to see over the heads of large offensive and defensive linemen while he is in the pocket in a passing situation. At 5'9", Doug Flutie was initially considered to be too short to become a NFL quarterback despite his Heisman Trophy-winning success at the college level.

Tall wide receivers have an advantage of being able to outjump shorter defensive backs to catch highly thrown passes. By contrast, shorter defensive backs are utilized because of their typically greater agility, as the ability to change directions instantly is a prerequisite for the position. Short running backs are at an advantage because their shorter stature and lower center of gravity generally makes them harder to tackle effectively. In addition, they can easily "hide" behind large offensive linemen, making it harder for defenders to react at the beginning of a play. Thus, in the NFL and in NCAA Division I football, running backs under 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) are more common than running backs over 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m). Former Heisman Trophy winner and Pro Football Hall of Famer Barry Sanders, thought by some to be the greatest running back in history, is a classic example of a running back with an extraordinarily low center of gravity, as he stood only 5 ft 7 1/2 in (1.71 m). However, Jim Brown, another player often considered the greatest running back of all time, was more than 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) tall, demonstrating benefits conferred by the greater power and leverage which height provides.

Kickers are generally short, they are shorter because this allows them to get under the ball easier. Punters are generally very tall because of longer legs achieving greater leg swing and this translates into more power on the ball.

Baseball

In baseball, pitchers tend to be taller than position players. Being taller means longer legs, which power pitchers use to generate velocity and a release point closer to the plate, which means the ball reaches the batter more quickly. While taller position players have a larger strike zone, most position players are at least of average height because the larger frame allows them to generate more power. Most successful modern pitchers are safely over 6 feet/1.83 m, some to extremes (e.g., the 6'10"/2.08 m Randy Johnson), with the 5'11"/1.80 m Pedro Martínez a notable exception.

Tennis

Height can be advantageous to a tennis player as it allows players to create more power when serving, and it gives tall players a greater wingspan, allowing them to get to sharp-angled shots more easily. Examples of tall players are 6'10" Ivo Karlovic, and 6'9" John Isner, both known for their powerful serves. Venus Williams, Lindsay Davenport, and Maria Sharapova are successful tall players on the women's side, all measuring 6'1" or taller. However, being tall can have some disadvantages, like the difficulty of bending down to reach low volleys. There have also have been some successful players that were short, like Rod Laver and Justine Henin.

Ice hockey

While the history of the NHL is filled with diminutive players who achieved greatness (Theo Fleury, Martin St. Louis) the game's physical style has put a premium on imposing players, particular over 6 feet tall and over 200 pounds (Mario Lemieux, Chris Pronger). Taller, bigger players have a longer reach, are able to give out and sustain punishing body checks, and are generally seen as indispensable for a team looking to go deep into the playoffs. The average height of an NHLer is just over 6 feet tall. Zdeno Chára, at 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m), is the tallest player ever to play in the NHL.

Amateur Wrestling

Height can be both helpful and detrimental in wrestling. Since taller people have more bone mass, they will generally be slightly weaker than shorter people in the same weight class. This difference is made up in part by their longer arms, which allow them a longer reach and cradle easier. Long legs are detrimental in that they can easily be attacked by a lolly, they do, however, assist in performing some actions and positions such as throwing (or riding) legs. The heights of amateur wrestlers vary greatly with successful athletes being as short as Alireza Dabir at 171cm and as tall as the great Alexander Karelin at roughly 193 cm.

Sumo

Professional sumo wrestlers are required to be at least 173 cm (5' 8") tall. Some aspiring sumo athletes have silicon implants added to the tops of their heads to reach the necessary height.[80] The average height for a sumo wrestler is 180 cm, far above the national average in Japan.

Statue of Pier Gerlofs Donia, a famous Frisian folk hero noted for his great height

History of human height

Average height of troops born in the mid-nineteenth century, by country or place.

Country Height
Frisia 179 cm
Australia 172 cm
U.S. 171 cm
Norway 169 cm
Ireland 168 cm
Scotland 168 cm
Sweden 168 cm
Bohemia 167 cm
Lower Austria 167 cm
Moravia 166 cm
U.K. 166 cm
France 165 cm
Russia 165 cm
Germany 164 cm
Netherlands 164 cm
Spain 162 cm
Italy 161 cm

Source

In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Europeans in North America were far taller than those in Europe and were the tallest in the world.[81] The original indigenous population of Plains Native Americans was also among the tallest populations of the world at the time.[82] Several nations, including many nations in Europe, have now surpassed the US, particularly the Netherlands, and the Scandinavian nations.

In the late nineteenth century, the Netherlands was a land renowned for its short population, but today it has the second tallest average in the world, with young men averaging 185 cm (6'1 ft) tall and only shorter than the peoples of the Dinaric Alps (a section largely within the former Yugoslavia), where males average 185.6 cm (6 ft 1.1 in) tall. The Dinarians and Dutch are now well known in Europe for extreme tallness. In Africa, the Maasai, Dinka and Tutsi populations are known for their tallness.

Average male height in impoverished Vietnam and North Korea[83] remains comparatively small at 163 cm (5 ft 4 in) and 165 cm (5 ft 5 in), respectively. Currently, young adult North Korean males are actually significantly shorter. This contrasts greatly with the extreme growth occurring in surrounding Asian populations with correlated increasing standards of living. Young South Koreans are about 12 cm (5.5 inches) taller than their North Korean counterparts, on average. There is also an extreme difference between older North Koreans and young North Koreans who grew up during the famines of the 1990s-2000s. North Korean and South Korean adults older than 40, who were raised when the North and South's economies were about equal, are generally of the same average height.

In the early 1970s, when anthropologist Barry Bogin first visited Guatemala, he observed that Mayan Indian men averaged only 157.5 cm (5 ft 2 in) in height and the women averaged 142.2 cm (4 ft 8 in). Bogin took another series of measurements after the Guatemalan Civil War had erupted, during which up to a million Guatemalans had fled to the United States. He discovered that Mayan refugees, who ranged from six to twelve years old, were significantly taller than their Guatemalan counterparts. By 2000, the American Maya were 10.24 cm (4 in) taller than the Guatemalan Maya of the same age, largely due to better nutrition and access to health care. Bogin also noted that American Maya children had a significantly lower sitting height ratio, (i.e. relatively longer legs, averaging 7.02 cm longer) than the Guatemalan Maya.[84][85]

In certain countries like the Philippines [citation needed], younger generations are significantly shorter than those born in the 1970s and 1980s despite the economic growth and better standard of living. In Malaysia and Thailand, younger generations have experienced increased height.

See also

Bibliography

  • Fitting the Task to the Man, 1987 (for heights in U.S. and Japan)
  • Eurostats Statistical Yearbook 2004 (for heights in Germany)
  • Netherlands Central Bureau for Statistics, 1996 (for average heights)
  • Mean Body Weight, Height, and body mass index, United States 1960–2002
  • UK Department of Health - Health Survey for England
  • Statistics Norway, Conscripts, by height, Per cent
  • Statistics Sweden (in Swedish)
  • Burkhard Bilger. "The Height Gap." The New Yorker
  • A collection of data on human height, referred to here as "karube" but originally collected from other sources, was originally available here but is no longer. A copy is available here. (an English translation of this Japanese page would make it easier to evaluate the quality of the data...).
  • http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/04news/americans.htm
  • Aminorroaya A, Amini M, Naghdi H, Zadeh AH (2003). "Growth charts of heights and weights of male children and adolescents of Isfahan, Iran". J Health Popul Nutr. 21 (4): 341–6. PMID 15038589. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  • Blaha, P. et al.: 6. Celostatni antropologicky vyzkum deti a mladeze 2001, Ceska republika [6th Nationwide anthropological research of children and youth 2001, Czech republic], Charles University in Prague 2005
  • Bogin, B.A. (1999) Patterns of human growth. 2nd ed Cambridge U Press
  • Bogin, B.A. (2001) The growth of humanity Wiley-Liss
  • Cavelaars, A.E.J.M., Kunst, A.E., Geurts, J.J.M., Crialesi, R., Grotvedt, L., Helmert U. Persistent variations in average height between countries and between socio-economic groups: an overview of 10 European countries. Annals of Human Biology. 27(4),407–421.
  • Deurenberg P, Bhaskaran K, Lian PL (2003). "Singaporean Chinese adolescents have more subcutaneous adipose tissue than Dutch Caucasians of the same age and body mass index". Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 12 (3): 261–5. PMID 14505987.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  • Eveleth, P.B. & Tanner, J.M. (1990) Worldwide variation in human growth, 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press.
  • Lintsi M, Kaarma H (2006). "Growth of Estonian seventeen-year-old boys during the last two centuries". Econ Hum Biol. 4 (1): 89–103. doi:10.1016/j.ehb.2005.05.007. PMID 15993666. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  • Miura K, Nakagawa H, Greenland P (2002). "Invited commentary: Height-cardiovascular disease relation: where to go from here?". Am. J. Epidemiol. 155 (8): 688–9. PMID 11943684. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  • Ruff, C. (2002) Variation in human body size and shape. Ann. Rev. Anthropol. 31:211–232.
  • Pineau JC, Delamarche P, Bozinovic S (2005). "[Average height of adolescents in the Dinaric Alps]". C. R. Biol. (in French). 328 (9): 841–6. doi:10.1016/j.crvi.2005.07.004. PMID 16168365. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  • Average height of young Spaniards (in Spanish)
  • Krishan K, Sharma JC (2002). "Intra-individual difference between recumbent length and stature among growing children". Indian J Pediatr. 69 (7): 565–9. PMID 12173694. {{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |month= (help)
  • Mandel D, Zimlichman E, Mimouni FB, Grotto I, Kreiss Y (2004). "Height-related changes in body mass index: a reappraisal". J Am Coll Nutr. 23 (1): 51–4. PMID 14963053. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  • A. Case, PhD, C. Paxson, PhD, Stature and Status: Height, Ability, and Labor Market Outcomes
  • A comparative study of food habits and body shape perception of university students in Japan and Korea Nutr J. 2005; 4: 31. Published online 2005 October 31. doi: 10.1186/1475-2891-4-31.
  • Young F, Lichton IJ, Hamilton RM, Dorrough SA, Alford EJ (1987). "Body weight, blood pressure, and electrolyte excretion of young adults from six ethnic groups in Hawaii". Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 45 (1): 126–30. PMID 3799497. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

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External links

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