Taller Human Beings

The average height of human beings is rapidly increasing with the passage of time. According to the Tech Insider, Human beings have grown much taller in recent years. The average height of males was around 5’ 7’’ between the 1st and the 20th century but very little change has been observed in the past decade. The height of humans around the world has increased compared to the past centuries.

The trend of taller human beings can be seen in both men and women. In males, the change can be seen in countries such as Iran where height has increased from 5’2’ to 5’8”. In Greenland and South Korea it increased from 5’3” to 5’9”, in Greece from 5’4” to 5’10” and in Japan from 5’1” to 5’7”. Among females, height grew from 4’8” to 5’4” in South Korea, from 4’8” to 5’2” in Japan, from 5’0” to 5’6” in the Czech Republic and Serbia, and from 4’11” to 5’5” in Croatia.

There is a plethora of factors which have contributed to the growing height of human beings in the past century. The genetics of these individuals definitely play a role but other factors, such as nutrition, sanitation and better healthcare have also increased their height.

Research shows that the ups and downs of human height have been linked back to two main components - disease and diet. Both of these play a significant role in an individual’s childhood. If children are malnourished because they do not get enough to eat, or their bodies do not have the ability to absorb crucial nutrients because of some disease, such as diarrheal illness, their chances of growing tall in their adulthood are greatly affected.

We have witnessed this height-health link throughout history. In the late medieval period, 60 percent of Western Europe’s population was diminished due to the Black Death. However, the survivors found themselves with lots of food and unlimited living space. This allowed them to grow taller. Today, Englishmen are only 4cm shorter than the rest of their countrymen.

The Dutch are some of the tallest people in Europe, and are officially the tallest nation in the world. Other European nations have also grown taller but not as much as the Dutch. The reason why they are so tall is still a matter of debate among scientists. One of the reasons behind their height may be natural selection which is the constant changing and adapting of living organisms. Each human being is different from the other in some ways. This also means that some individuals are born with qualities that are better suited to their surroundings than others. Over the last century, Dutch men have grown 20 cm whereas Americans have only grown around 6 cm within the same span of time. Unfortunately for the Dutch, the door rooms need to be higher and not only that but the Dutch have also started a campaign to get more leg room on airplanes.

Europe has the tallest people in the world and some of the shortest can be found in South Asia. According to statistics from Our World in Data, the average height of people in South Asia is 165 cm (about 5’ 4”). Some of the shortest 19-year olds in the world can also be found in this region, according to a study by London’s Imperial College. The height of an average 19-year-old in South Asia is the same as an 11-year girl in the Netherlands.

However, certain outliers have also emerged in South Asia. The name Zia Rashid and Naseer Soomro, might ring a bell for people living in Pakistan. Zia Rashid, a 23-year-old, measures 8 feet in height which makes him one of the tallest men in world His height, however, has not been officially recognized by the Guinness World Records. On the other hand, Naseer Soomro, hailing from Shikarpur, who stands at 7 feet 10 inches is currently considered Pakistan’s tallest man and one of the tallest in the world. Both have faced numerous medical problems in the past due to their physique, which have worsened with age.