Human height

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Human height is dependent according to both nature and nurture. The particular human genome that an 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 a decrease 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, of Zhytomyr Oblast, Ukraine, is believed to be the world's tallest living man, although his height is disputed. 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.

[edit] Average height around the world

[edit] Determinants of growth and height

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

The study of height is known as auxology. Growth has long been recognized as a measure of the health 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.

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.^[68] 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.^{[citation needed]}

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"^[69], studies in modern times have observed a gradual increase in height with maternal age.^[70][71][72]

The precise relationship between genetics and environment is complex and uncertain. Human height is 90% heritable^[73] and has been considered polygenic since the Mendelian-biometrician debate a hundred years ago.^[74] 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.^[73]

[edit] Race and height

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).^[75] A notable example is Manute Bol, who, at 2.31 m (7 ft 7 in), was the tallest basketball player in NBA history. The Dinka are characterized as having long legs, narrow bodies and short trunks, an adaptation to hot weather.^[76] 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).^[77] Adults of Pygmy people have an approximate average height of 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in).^{[citation needed]}

[edit] 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 such as tennis, swimming 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.

[edit] 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.

[edit] 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,^[78] McCarron et al. 2002^[79]). 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^[80]). 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.

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.^[81]

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^{[citation needed]}. 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).

[edit] In sports

Height helps basketball players 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. However, in some sports, such as horse racing, auto racing, figure skating, diving and gymnastics, a smaller frame is more valuable.

[edit] Basketball

In Basketball 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).

[edit] Weightlifting

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.

[edit] Australian 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. With an emphasis also on kicking, players with long legs can generally kick further and therefore also have an advantage. 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 200 cm (6 ft 7 in) tall and weight of over 100 kg (220 lb) . Aaron Sandilands and Peter Street are both 211 cm (6 ft 11 in) tall (the tallest in the history of the game) while Dean Cox, Dean Brogan, David Hille, Josh Fraser, Brad Ottens and David Hale are all notable current AFL players over 200 cm (6 ft 7 in) 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 195 cm (6 ft 5 in) and the average full position player is about 190 cm (6 ft 3 in). Backmen must also have high shoulders and long arms to be able to effectively spoil their opponents. The dominance of height in professional Aussie Rules is further evidenced by the top 5 goalkickers in the history of the AFL were all over 6 foot tall and no player less than 6 feet tall has ever kicked more than 1,000 AFL goals.

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. Small fast and elusive forwards in particular are highly sought after as they can be effective goalkickers^[82] and are often called "goalsneaks". Examples include Aaron Davey, David Rodan, Rhan Hooper, Cyril Rioli, Jeff Farmer, Brent Harvey, Stephen Milne, Mathew Stokes Eddie Betts and Leon Davis. Tony Liberatore at 163 cm (5 ft 4 in) was one of the shortest players to have been awarded the Brownlow Medal. 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 188 cm (6 ft 2 in) . 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 186 cm (6 ft 1 in) 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, James "Nipper" Bradford, was just 154 cm (5 ft 1 in). However players under 170 cm (5 ft 7 in) are now extremely rare in the AFL. With few exceptions, players shorter than 175 cm (5 ft 9 in) 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.

[edit] Football (Association Football)

In present-day football (association football), goalkeepers tend to be taller than average because their greater armspans and total reach when jumping enable them to cover more of the goal. Examples of particularly tall keepers include Zeljko Kalac (2.02 m/6'7½"), Edwin van der Sar (1.97 m/6'5½"), Petr Čech (1.97 m/6'5½"), Doni 1.95 m/6'5") and the tallest active goalkeeper, Vanja Iveša (2.05 m/6'8½"). As such, one will rarely see a short goalkeeper at the professional level. However, it should be noted that (relatively) short goalkeepers will have an easier time reaching low shots as they can reach the ground fractionally sooner than taller keepers. An example of relatively short goalkeeper today is Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi (1.79 m/5'10½").

In wide and attacking positions height is not always important, with some of the best players in the world (e.g. Garrincha, Messi and Romário, all 1.69 m/5'6½", and Maradona at 1.65 m/5'5") being shorter than average and in many cases gaining an advantage with their low center of gravity. However, height is generally considered advantageous for forwards who usually aim to score with their heads, such as Jan Koller (2.02 m/6'7½"), Nikola Žigić (2.04 m/6'8"), Ruud van Nistelrooy (1.88 m/6'2"), John Carew (1.93 m/6'4"), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (1.92 m/6'3½"), Luca Toni (1.96 m/6'5"), Peter Crouch (2.01 m/6'7"), Bobby Zamora (1.93 m/6'3") and the tallest active outfield player, Yang Changpeng (2.05 m/6'8½"). Likewise, height is often an advantage for central defenders who are assigned to stop forwards from scoring through the air, as exemplified by players like Naldo, Brede Hangeland, (both 1.95 m/6'5") and Per Mertesacker (1.98 m/6'6").

[edit] Cricket

In cricket, some great batsmen like Donald Bradman 5 ft 7 in (1.7 m), Sachin Tendulkar 5 ft 5 in (1.7 m), Brian Lara 5 ft 6 in (1.7 m), Sunil Gavaskar 5 ft 4 in (1.6 m) and Aravinda De Silva 5 ft 2 in (1.6 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 1.68 m (5'6") Lasith Malinga, 1.87 m (6'1½") Brett Lee, though a wider range of 1.80 m (5'11") Shoaib Akhtar to 1.93 m (6'4") Michael Holding has been observed. However it is rare to see very fast bowlers outside the range of 1.8 m to 2.0 m (5'11" to 6'7").

[edit] 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 1.92 m (6' 3½"), and the average female Olympic rower is 1.73 m (5' 8"),^[83] well over the average height. Coxswains, on the other hand, tend to be considerably shorter and lighter than rowers.

[edit] Rugby union

Locks are tall and typically the target of a rugby lineout.

In rugby union, lineout jumpers, generally locks, are usually the tallest players on the pitch, as this increases their chance of winning clean ball, whereas scrum-halves are usually relatively short. As examples, current world-class locks Victor Matfield, Chris Jack, and Paul O'Connell are all at least 1.98 m(6' 6"), and Simon Shaw even gets up to 2.03 m (6' 8"), while the sport's all-time leader in international appearances, scrum-half George Gregan, is 1.73m (5' 8"). Currently the tallest professional players are Devin Toner and Andries Bekker, who are both 2.08 m (6' 10"). The tallest man ever to have played was 2.13 m (7' 0") tall Richard Metcalfe.

[edit] Rugby league

Unlike rugby union, height is not generally seen as important, often extreme height being a hindrance rather than a useful attribute.^[84][85] 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/6' 5"), Greg Inglis (195 cm/6' 5"), Shaun Kenny-Dowall (195 cm/6' 5"), Mark Gasnier (194 cm/6' 4½"), Colin Best (189 cm/6' 2½"), Manu Vatuvei (189 cm/6' 2½"), Jarryd Hayne (188 cm/6' 2"), Krisnan Inu (185 cm/6' 1") and Jason Nightingale (185 cm/6' 1") are examples of the trend in taller wingers and centres, and are both known for their remarkable jumping skills in defense or attack.

[edit] 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 1.75 m (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 jump considerably higher than 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' 3" (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' 7½" in (1.71 m). However, Jim Brown, another player often considered the greatest running back of all time, was more than 6' 2" (1.88 m) tall, demonstrating benefits conferred by the greater power and leverage which height provides.

Punters are generally very tall because of longer legs achieving greater leg swing and this translates into more power on the ball.

[edit] 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.

[edit] 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 2.08 m (6'10") Ivo Karlovic, 2.06 m (6'9") John Isner, Mario Ancic, 196 cm and Marat Safin 194 cm, all known for their powerful serves. Venus Williams, Lindsay Davenport, Dinara Safina and Maria Sharapova are successful tall players on the women's side, all measuring 1.85 m (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 of average size, like Rod Laver and Justine Henin, or shorter than average, such as Pancho Segura and Dominika Cibulkova. It has been by stated several commentators^[who?] that the "ideal" height for a male tennis player in today's game is between 1.84-1.90 m (6'1"-6'3") or so. Rafael Nadal (1.85 m, 6'1"), Roger Federer (1.85 m, 6'1"), Novak Djokovic (1.87 m, 6'2), and Andy Murray (1.90 m, 6'3"), respectively the top four players in the world at the end of 2008, are all within this height range.

[edit] Ice hockey

While the history of the NHL is filled with diminutive players who achieved greatness (Theo Fleury, Martin St. Louis), and arguably the greatest player of all time, Wayne Gretzky, is 1.83 m (6 feet) tall and played at 185 pounds (84 kg), the game's increasing physical style has put a premium on imposing players, particularly over 1.8 m (6 feet) tall and over 100 kg (220 pounds) (Mario Lemieux, Chris Pronger). Taller, bigger players have a longer reach, are more able to give out and sustain body checks, and have greater leverage on their shooting such as a slap shot. The average height of an NHLer is just over 1.8 m (6 feet) tall. Zdeno Chára, at 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m), is the tallest player ever to play in the NHL.

[edit] 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 171 cm (5" 7') and as tall as Alexander Karelin at roughly 193 cm (6" 4').

[edit] 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.^[86] 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

[edit] Swimming

Height is generally considered advantageous in swimming. Taller swimmers with longer arms are like bicycles set to a higher gear. This is especially true for freestyle. An example of a tall swimmer is Michael Phelps, at 6'4" who won eight gold medals at the 2008 Olympic Games. The average height of the 8 finalists in the 100 meter Freestyle final at the US Olympic Trials was 6'5". Another exceptionally tall swimmer is American backstroker Matt Grevers.

[edit] Gymnastics

In gymnastics, it is advantageous to be shorter. A lower center of gravity can give an athlete better balance. A smaller athlete may also have an easier time manipulating their body in the air.

[edit] History of human height

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

Source

• Tallest in the World: Native Americans of the Great Plains in the Nineteenth Century
• European Heights in the Early eighteenth Century
• Spatial Convergence in Height in East-Central Europe, 1890–1910
• Global Height Trends in Industrial and Developing Countries, 1810–1984: An Overview 2006 10 20
• Regional and personal inequality in welfare in pre-WWII Japan (1892–1941):Physical stature, income, and health
• The Biological Standard of Living in Europe During the Last Two Millennia
• HEALTH AND NUTRITION IN THE PREINDUSTRIAL ERA: INSIGHTS FROM A MILLENNIUM OF AVERAGE HEIGHTS IN NORTHERN EUROPE
• Industrialized Nations?
• STATURE IN TRANSITION: A MICRO-LEVEL STUDY FROM NINETEENTH-CENTURY BELGIUM
• BONES OF CONTENTION THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF HEIGHT INEQUALITY- Carles Boix and Frances Rosenbluth

In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Europeans in North America were far taller than those in Europe and were the tallest in the world.^[87] The original indigenous population of Plains Native Americans was also among the tallest populations of the world at the time.^[88] 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 183 cm (6'0 ft) tall and in Europe are 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, with some reports indicating an average male height of up to 190 cm (almost 6 ft 3).

Colonial populations present an interesting case in the evolution of human height. Though the European population in South Africa is principally descended from Dutch and British settlers of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries (at a period when both England and Holland reported average male heights of under 5 foot 6), the present European descended population has shown a similar increase in height as have the nations from which they are descended. A 1998 survey recorded an average height of 177 cm for European descended South African males, and 164 cm for European descended South African females ^[89]. Australians likewise are taller than their ancestors, averaging over 178 cm, and women 163.9 cm in a survey conducted in 1995 ^[2]. By comparison, a British survey from a similar period averages the male population height at 174.4 cm, and the female population at 161 cm ^[66]. This means that despite many Australians and European descended South Africans having descended from British people, their current average height is over an inch greater than the present UK average (approximately 0.4 Standard Deviations).

Average male height in impoverished Vietnam and North Korea^[90] 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 (4.7 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.^[91][92]

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.

[edit] See also

• Heightism
• Anthropometry
• Height and intelligence
• Human weight
• Human variability
• Human biology
• List of tallest people
• List of shortest people
• Pygmies

[edit] 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 (December 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. 
• 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. 
• Eveleth, P.B. & Tanner, J.M. (1990) Worldwide variation in human growth, 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press.
• Lintsi M, Kaarma H (January 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. 
• Miura K, Nakagawa H, Greenland P (April 2002). "Invited commentary: Height-cardiovascular disease relation: where to go from here?". Am. J. Epidemiol. 155 (8): 688–9. PMID 11943684. http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=11943684. 
• Ruff, C. (2002) Variation in human body size and shape. Ann. Rev. Anthropol. 31:211–232.
• Pineau JC, Delamarche P, Bozinovic S (September 2005). "[Average height of adolescents in the Dinaric Alps]" (in French). C. R. Biol. 328 (9): 841–6. doi:10.1016/j.crvi.2005.07.004. PMID 16168365. 
• 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. 
• Mandel D, Zimlichman E, Mimouni FB, Grotto I, Kreiss Y (February 2004). "Height-related changes in body mass index: a reappraisal". J Am Coll Nutr 23 (1): 51–4. PMID 14963053. http://www.jacn.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=14963053. 
• 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 (January 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. http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=3799497. 

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• CDC National Center for Health Statistics: Growth Charts of American Percentiles
• Human Height Around the World
• www.fao.org: Body Weights and Heights by Countries (given in percentiles)
• Height to Weight Charts Height to weight charts according to small, medium and large frame for both men and women.
• Standard to Metric Human Height Converter
• BMI Calculator Calculate a persons Body Mass Index
• The Height Gap, Article discussing differences in height around the world