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16-September-2008 16:15:09 - height 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 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. Herary 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 Ukraine. The tallest man in modern history was Robert Pershing Wadlow from Alton, Illinois, 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. Contents 1 Average adult height around the world 2 Determinants of growth and height 2.1 Race and height 3 Process of growth 4 Height abnormalities 5 Role of an individual's height 6 In sports 6.1 Association football soccer 6.2 Cricket 6.3 Rowing 6.4 Rugby union 6.5 Rugby league 6.6 American football gridiron 6.7 Baseball 6.8 Tennis 6.9 Ice hockey 6.10 Amateur Wrestling 6.11 Sumo 7 History of human height 8 See also 9 Bibliography 9.1 References 10 External links 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 172.6 cm 5 ft 8 in 160.7 cm 5 ft 3.3 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 56 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' 6 158.6 cm 5' 2 Urban, 17 Measured 2002 10 China PRC 166.6 cm 5' 4.6 157.0 cm 5' 1.5 Rural, 17 Measured 2002 11 China ROC Taiwan 172.04 cm 5' 7.73 159.68 cm 5' 2.75 18.5 12 Colombia 170.64 cm 5' 7.2 158.65 cm 5' 2.4 18-22 Measured 2002 13 Côte d'Ivoire 170.1 cm 5' 7 159.1 cm 5' 2.7 25-29 Measured 1985-1987 14 Czech Republic 180.3 cm 5' 11 167.3 cm 5' 6.0 18 Measured 2005 15 Denmark 180.6 cm 5' 11.1 Conscripts, 19 Measured 2006 16 Estonia 179.1 cm 5' 10.5 17 2003 17 Finland 176.6 cm 5' 9.5 163.5 cm 5' 4.3 ? 2000 18 Finland 178.2 cm 5' 10 164.7 cm 5' 4.7 15-64 Self-reported 2004 19 France 174.1 cm 5' 8.5 161.9 cm 5' 3.7 20+ Measured 2003 20 France 177.0 cm 5' 9.6 164.6 cm 5' 4.8 20-29 Measured 2003 21 Ghana 169.46 cm 5' 6.7 158.53 cm 5' 2.4 25-29 Measured 1987-1989 22 Gambia 168.0 cm 5' 6.1 157.8 cm 5' 2.2 Rural, 21-49 Measured 23 Germany 178.1 cm 5' 10 165 cm 5' 4.9 Entire population 2005 2425 Germany 180.3 cm 5' 11 167 cm 5' 6 18-19 2005 2425 Guatemala Maya people 157.5 cm 5' 2 142.2 cm 4' 6 20 26 Hong Kong 171 cm 5' 7.2 158.8 cm 5' 2.6 17 2005-2006 27 Hungary, Debrecen 179.14 cm 5' 10.4 165.84 cm 5' 5.2 University students 1986-1992 28 Iceland 181.7 cm 5' 11.5 167.6 cm 5' 6 20 29 India 165.3 cm 5' 5 165.3 cm 5' 5 20 Measured 2005-2006 30 India 161.2 cm 5' 3.5 152.1 cm 5' 0 Rural, 17 2002 31 Indonesia 158.0 cm 5' 2.2 147.0 cm 4' 10.0 50+ Self-reported 1997 32 Indonesia, East Bali 162.4 cm 5' 3.9 151.3 cm 4' 11.5 19-23 Measured 1995 33 Iran 170.27 cm 5' 7.0 157.2cm 5' 1.9 20+ Measured 2005 34 Iraq 165.4 cm 5' 5.1 155.8 cm 5' 1.3 18-44 Measured 1999-2000 35 Israel 175.6 cm 5' 9.2 162.7 cm 5' 4.1 20-30 Measured 1980-2000 36 Italy - Middle North 176.9 cm 5' 9.7 163.2 cm 5' 4.2 20 1994-2000 37 Italy - South 174.2 cm 5' 8.0 160.8 cm 5' 3.3 20 1994-2000 37 Japan 170.8 cm 5' 6 158.79 cm 5' 2.1 17 2005 38 Japan 172.19 cm 5' 6.5 158.8 cm 5' 2.1 25-29 2006 39 Korea, South 173.9 cm 5' 8.5 161.1 cm 5' 3.4 17 2006 40 Korea, South 175.0 cm 5' 8.8 161.9 cm 5' 3.7 19-24 2007 41 Lithuania 176.3 cm 5' 9.4 Conscripts, 19-25 Measured 2006 42 Malaysia 169 cm 5' 6.5 157.3 cm 5' 2.2 20+ Measured 2004 43 Malta 169 cm 5' 6.5 159 cm 5' 2.6 Adults Self-reported 2003 44 Malta 175.2 cm 5' 9 163.8 cm 5' 4.5 25-34 Self-reported 2003 44 Malawi 166 cm 5' 5.3 155 cm 5' 1.1 Urban, 16-60 Measured 2000 45 Mali 171.3 cm 5' 7.4 160.4 cm 5' 3.2 Rural Measured 1992 46 Mexico, State of Morelos 167 cm 5' 5.7 155 cm 5' 1.1 Adults Self-reported 1998 47 Netherlands 184.8 cm 6' 0.8 168.7 cm 5' 6.4 20-30 Measured 2004 48 New Zealand 177.0 cm 5' 9.7 165.0 cm 5' 5 19-45 Estimates 1993 49 Nigeria 163.8 cm 5' 4.5 157.8 cm 5' 2.1 25-74 Measured 1994-1996 50 Norway 179.9 cm 5' 10.8 167.2 cm 5' 5.9 Male conscripts 18-19; female unknown Measured 2007 51 Philippines 163.5 cm 5' 4.4 151.8 cm 4' 11.8 20-39 Measured 2003 52 Portugal 172.8 cm 5' 8 Conscipts, 21 Measured 1998-99 53 Singapore 172.0 cm 5' 7.8 160 cm 5' 3 17-25 2003 54 South Africa 169.0 cm 5' 6.5 159.0 cm 5' 2.5 25-64 Measured 1998 55 Spain 170 cm 5' 7 161 cm 5' 3.3 Entire population Self-reported 2003 56 Spain 177 cm 5' 9.7 164.3 cm 5' 4.6 18-29 Self reported 2003 56Encuesta Nacional de Salud Spain 178 cm 5' 10 165 cm 5' 4.7 21 Measured 2000 57 Sweden 181.3 cm 5' 11.3 166.8 cm 5' 5.7 25-34 Measured.58 2005 59 Switzerland 175.5 cm 5' 9 164.0 cm 5' 3.8 18 Thailand 167.5 cm 5' 5.9 157.3 cm 5' 1.9 STOU university student Self-reported 1991-1995 60 Turkey, Province of Edirne 173.8 cm 5' 8.5 161.4 cm 5' 3.5 17 Measured 2001 61 United Kingdom 175.2 cm 5' 8.9 161.6 cm 5' 3.6 16+ Measured 2006 62 United Kingdom 175.2 cm 5' 8.9 163.7 cm 5' 4.4 16-24 Measured 2006 62 U.S. 175.8 cm 5' 9.3 162.0 cm 5' 3.8 20+ Measured 1999-2002 63 U.S. 178.2 cm 5' 10.2 164.1 cm 5' 4.6 White Americans, 20-39 Measured 1999-2002 63 U.S. 177.8 cm 5' 10 164.0 cm 5' 4.6 African-Americans, 20-39 Measured 1999-2002 63 U.S. 169.7 cm 5' 6.8 158.1 cm 5' 2.2 Mexican-Americans, 20-39 Measured 1999-2002 63 U.S. South Texas 172.5 cm 5' 7.9 159.6 cm 5' 2.8 Mexican-Americans, 17 Measured 1998-1999 64 Vietnam 158.1 cm 5' 4 152.2 cm 5' 00 25-29 Measured 1992-1993 65 Determinants of growth and height An example of human growth velocity under optimal conditions Courtesy: Richard Steckel 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. 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. 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.66 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 failing67, studies in modern times have observed a gradual increase in height with maternal age.686970 The precise relationship between genetics and environment is complex and uncertain. Human height is 90% heritable71 and has been considered polygenic since the Mendelian-biometrician debate a hundred years ago.72 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.71 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.73 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.74 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.75 Adults of Pygmy peoples 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 secretioncitation needed. Adolescents who take steroids can experience stunted growthcitation needed. A positive net nutrition is also important, with proteins and various other nutrients especially importantcitation 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 sexcitation 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, herary 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 jump-start the growth process. 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. 1996,76 McCarron et al 200277. 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, 199978. 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.79 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 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 6'6 1.83 to 1.98 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 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. Association football soccer In association football, tall goalkeepers have an advantage because they have greater armspans and can jump higher easily, so one will rarely, if ever, see a short goalkeeper at the professional level. However, shorter 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, Edgar Davids, 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 target men forwards who usually aim to score with their head for instance Jan Koller, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Niall Quinn, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Luca Toni and Peter Crouch. Cricket Similarly, 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. The current generation of fast bowlers are even taller an example being England's 21 year old fast bowler Stuart Broad being 6 ft 8|in tall. 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. England's star batsman Kevin Pietersen is 6 ft 4 in 1.9 m tall, while New Zealand all-rounder Jacob Oram measures 6 ft 7 in 2.0 m. Rowing In rowing, being tall is a big advantage, because the taller you are the longer your 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 5'8,80 well over the average height. Rugby union 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 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.8182 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 196cm, Greg Inglis 195cm, Shaun Kenny-Dowall 195cm, Mark Gasnier 194cm, Colin Best 189cm, Manu Vatuvei 189cm, Jarryd Hayne 188cm, Krisnan Inu 185cm and Jason Nightingale 185cm 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 MartÃnez 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. 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 competitor, 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.83 The average height for a sumo wrestler is 180 cm, far above the national average in Japan. History of human height Average height of troops born in the mid-nineteenth century, by country or place. Country Height 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 India 165 cm Germany 164 cm Netherlands 164 cm Spain 162 cm Italy 161 cm 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 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.84 The original indigenous population of Plains Native Americans was also among the tallest populations of the world at the time.85 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 Korea86 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.8788 In certain countries like the Philippines, 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 Heightism Anthropometry Height and intelligence Human weight Human variability Human biology List of tallest people List of shortest people 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 Aminorraya, A. et al.: Growth Charts of Heights and Weights of Male Children and Adolescents of Isfahan, Iran. Journal of Health and Population Nutrition, 214:2003, p. 341-346 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. 274,407-421. Deurenberg P., Kalpana Bhaskaran, Petrina Lim Kim Lian: Singaporean Chinese adolescents have more subcutaneous adipose tissue than Dutch Caucasians of the same age and body mass index. Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 123:2003, p. 261-265 Eveleth, P.B. Tanner, J.M. 1990 Worldwide variation in human growth, 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press. Lintsi, M., Kaarma, H.: Growth of Estonian seventeen-year-old boys during the last two centuries. Economics and Human Biology 4 2006 89-103. Miura, K. Nakagawa, H. Greenland, P. 2002 Invited commentary: height-cardiovascular disease relation: where to go from here? Am. J. Epidemiol. 155:688-689. Ruff, C. 2002 Variation in human body size and shape. Ann. Rev. Anthropol. 31:211-232. Average height of adolescents in the Dinaric Alps Average height of young Spaniards in Spanish Differences between height stature and recumbent length Mandel, MD, E. Zimlichman, MD, F. B. Mimouni, MD, FACN, FAAP, I. Grotto, MD, MPH, and Y. Kreiss, MD Height-Related Changes in Body Mass Index: A Reappraisal A. Case, PhD, C. Paxson, PhD, Stature and Status: Height, Ability, and Labor Market Outcomes Body weight, blood pressure, and electrolyte excretion of young adults from six ethnic groups in Hawaii References ^ Mariana del Pino, Luisa Bay, Horacio Lejarraga, Irina Kovalskys, Enrique Berner and Cecile Rausch Herscovic. Archik;hK:Mvos Argentinos de PediatrÃa. SciELO Argentina. ^ a b ABS How Australians Measure Up 1995 data ^ NATIONAL NUTRITION SURVEY ^ Clinical standards for growth in height of Belgian boys and girls, aged 2 to 18 years ^ IBGE2005 ^ Folha de SP ^ http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1579217 Anthropometry measures and prevalence of obesity in the urban adult population of Cameroon: an update from the Cameroon Burden of Diabetes Baseline Survey ^ 2005 Canadian Community Health Survey 3.1 ^ Ethnic Differences in the Association between Body Mass Index and Hypertension, American Journal of Epidemiology ^ National Institute for Nutrition and Food Safety ^ National Institute for Nutrition and Food Safety ^ Ministry of Education, Republic of China Taiwan ^ A TROPICAL SUCCESS STORY: A CENTURY OF IMPROVEMENTS IN THE BIOLOGICAL STANDARD OF LIVING, COLOMBIA 1910-2002 ^ Productive Benefits of Improving Health: Evidence from Low-Income Countries, T. Paul Schultz ^ Blaha et al. 2005 ^ DST Statistical Yearbook 2007 ^ 1 ^ a b Cavelaars et al 2000. ^ National Public Health Institute Finland ^ INSEE 2003 ^ INSEE 2003 ^ Productive Benefits of Improving Health: Evidence from Low-Income Countries, T. Paul Schultz ^ Rebecca Sear ^ a b 2 according to the sociodemographic characteristics ^ a b Committee for determining the eligibility of young men for military service. ^ 3 ^ Education statistics 2006 ^ A rewiev of Hungarian studies on growth and physique of children ^ Icelandic boys, girls ^ Angus Deaton, 2008 ^ Venkaiah, 2002 ^ Indonesia Family Life Survey,1997 ^ Youth Profile in Some Suburban Areas In East Java Preliminary Survey of The Indonesian Youth Stature at The Fiftieth Anniversary of Indonesia ^ http://diglib.tums.ac.ir/pub/magmng/pdf/6079.pdf Secular Trend of Height Variations in Iranian Population Born between 1940 and 1984 ^ http://www.unu.edu/unupress/food/fnb23-4.pdf Relationship between waist circumference and blood pressure among the population in Baghdad,Iraq,Haifa Tawfeek ^ a study made between the years 1980-2000 ^ a b Cacciari et al. 2001 ^ ExcelMaleFemaleMinistry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology -Japan 2005 ^ ExcelOfficial Statistics by Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology ^ Ministry of Education, Science and Technology -Physical Examination Statistics Annual Report on StudentKorea 1970~2006 ^ MaleFemaleKorea Institute of Sport Science- Physical Fitness Survey ^ VISUOMENÄ–S SVEIKATA Anthropometrical data and physical fitness of Lithuanian soldiers ^ Distribution of Body Weight, Height and Body Mass Index in a National Sample of Malaysian Adults ^ a b 2003 study. A 2007 Eurostat study revealed the same results - the average Maltese person is 164.9cm 5'4.9 compared to the EU average of 169.6 cm 5'6.7. ^ B C Msamati, P S Igbigbi; East Afr Med J. 2000 ^ Nutritional status of adults in rural Mali,Katherine A. Dettwyler ^ Salud Publica Mexico ^ DINED 2004 TU Delft ^ page 60 Size and Shape of New Zealanders: NZ Norms for Anthropometric Data 1993. Based on British norms and their relations to New Zealand values ^ http://care.diabetesjournals.org/cgi/reprint/21/11/1836.pdf Association of Waist Circumference With Risk of Hypertension and Type 2 Diabetes in Nigerians, Jamaicans, and African-Americans, IKE S. OKOSUN, PHD.RICHARD S. COOPER, MD, CHARLES N. ROTIMI, PHD BABATUNDE OSOTIMEHIN, MD, TERRENCE FORRESTER, MD ^ http://www.ssb.no/english/yearbook/tab/tab-106.html Statistics Norway ^ 6th National Nutrition Survey ^ Tendências do Peso em Portugal no Final do Século XX ^ Deurenberg et al. 2003 ^ SADHS1998 ^ a b Sigma Dos Statistics 2003 ^ http://www.elpais.com/articulo/salud/ninos/espanoles/han/crecido/media/centimetros/anos/elpsalpor/20020618elpepisal_4/Tes ^ Vikt och längd i befolkningen. Statistics Sweden-SCB. ^ Dagens Nyheter 2008-02-29 ^ Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University-Health Research Project ^ Prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity in Turkish adolescents ^ a b Health Survey for England 2006 ^ a b c d Mean Body Weight, Height, and Body Mass Index 1960-2002 ^ http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/154/8/837.pdf ^ Productive Benefits of Improving Health: Evidence from Low-Income Countries, T. Paul Schultz ^ Short women more successful with men - 14 August 2002 - New Scientist ^ Bible, Revised Standard Version 2Esdras 4Ezra5.53. ^ R J Rona, D Mahabir, B Rocke, S Chinn and M C Gulliford 2003. Social inequalities and children's height in Trinidad and Tobago. ^ Jane E. Miller 1993. Birth Outcomes by Mother's Age At First Birth in the Philippines. ^ David J. Pevalin. Outcomes in Childhood and Adulthood by Mother's Age at Birth: evidence from the 1970 British Cohort Study. ^ a b M.N. Weedon et al. Advanced online publication 2007. A common variant of HMGA2 is associated with adult and childhood height in the general population. Nature Genetics 39: 1245. doi:10.1038/ng2121. ^ R.A. Fisher 1918. The correlation between relatives on the supposition of mendelian inheritance. Trans. R. Soc. Edinburgh: 399-433. ^ the tallest people in the world ^ climate sculpts bodies ^ Chali D. 1995 'Anthropometric measurements of the Nilotic tribes in a refugee camp', Ethiopian Medical Journal, 33, 4, 211-217. ^ Njolstad I, Arnesen E, Lund-Larsen PG. 1996 Body height, cardiovascular risk factors, and risk of stroke in middle-aged men and women: a 14-year follow-up of the Finnmark Study. Circulation 94:2877-2882. ^ McCarron, P., Okasha, M., McEwen, J. et al. 2002 Height in young adulthood and risk of death from cardiorespiratory disease: a prospective study of male former students of Glasgow University, Scotland. Am. J. Epidemiol. 155:683-687 ^ Samaras, T.T. Elrick, H. 1999. Height, body size and longevity. Acta Med Okayama. 53:149-169 ^ Strong Inverse Association Between Height and Suicide in a Large Cohort of Swedish Men: Evidence of Early Life Origins of Suicidal Behavior? - Magnusson et al. 162 7: 1373 - Am J Psychiatry ^ cite web|url=http://home.hia.no/~stephens/rowphys.htm|title=Physiology of the Elite Rower ^ Relationship Between Physical Fitness and Playing Ability in Rugby League Players. research journal of the NSCA 2007-01-01. Retrieved on 2008-02-20. ^ Tim J. Gabbett, Jason Kelly, Troy Pezet: Relationship Between Physical Fitness and Playing Ability in Rugby League Players, pages 1126-1133. Journal of strength and conditioning research: the research journal of the NSCA, 2007 ^ http://www.discoverychannelasia.com/sumo/world_famous_sumos/index.shtml ^ Komlos, J. Baur, M. From the tallest to one of the fattest: the enigmatic fate of the American population in the twentieth century. Economics and Human Biology, 21, March 2004, p 57-74. ^ Bogin 2001, citing height and distribution data of 8 plains Native Americans tribes collected by Frank Boas during 1888-1903 published by Prince Steckel 1998, Tallest in the world: Native Americans of the Great Plains in the nineteenth century. National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper Series. Historical paper 112 1-35 ^ Demick, Barbara. Effects of famine: Short staure evident in North Korean generation. Los Angeles Times. The Seattle Times. 2004-02-14. ^ P.O.V. - Big Enough . The Height Gap | PBS ^ Cat.Inist 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 Retrieved from http://en..org/wiki/Human_height Categories: Anthropology | Human heightHidden categories: All articles with statements | Articles with statements since March 2008 | Articles with statements since April 2008 Views Article Discussion this page History Personal tools Log in / create account Navigation Main page Contents Featured content Current events Random article Search Go Search Interaction Community portal Recent changes Contact Donate to Help Toolbox What links here Related changes Upload file Special pages Printable version Permanent link Cite this page Languages Aymar Deutsch Español Français Ido Ã?slenska Italiano Nederlands ‪Norsk bokmÃ¥l‬ Português РуÑ?Ñ?кий Suomi Тоҷикӣ ä¸æ–‡ This page was last modified on 16 August 2008, at 18:18
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