Human Height

Genetics partially influences height, but other factors, such as nutrition, also affect how tall you become as an adult. The average height of a population can indicate the health of its people, since things such as childhood illness and poor nutrition during pregnancy and childhood can stunt a person's growth. The average human height in countries such as the US, UK, and Japan has leveled off at around 5 feet and 10 inches (1.8 meters) over the last few decades. However, height is still increasing in places such as Latin America. These increases are likely the result of better maternal health and nutrition and greater access to health care. The findings suggest that human height may have reached a limit or a convergence point called a biological asymptote under favorable conditions. Studies have examined the relationship between height and body mass index with socioeconomic status. An analysis of data from the UK Biobank published in 2016 found that lower socioeconomic status correlated with shorter stature and higher BMI, though such associations differed between the sexes. Shorter height and lower socioeconomic status appeared to be more strongly linked for men, whereas the link between higher BMI and lower socioeconomic status was paramount for women. These findings imply that taller people, especially men, are associated with higher attainment in education, employment, and income levels. However, lower income levels are associated more closely with overweight people.