Men's Height and Weight Have Grown Twice as Much as Women's Over the Past Century
World
A new study shows that over the past century, the differences in height and weight between men and women have significantly increased. Men have gained height and weight twice as fast as women. Professor Lewis Halsey from the University of Roehampton and his colleagues used data from the World Health Organization, governments, and historical records from the United Kingdom to analyze how living conditions have affected changes in height and weight.
Analysis of data from dozens of countries shows that for every 0.2-point increase in the Human Development Index (HDI), women have grown an average of 1.7 cm taller and 2.7 kg heavier, while men have grown 4 cm taller and 6.5 kg heavier. This suggests that as living conditions improve, both height and weight increase, but this growth happens twice as fast in men compared to women.
The researchers also examined historical records from the United Kingdom, where HDI increased from 0.8 in 1900 to 0.94 in 2022. During the first half of the 20th century, the average height of women increased by 1.9% from 159 cm to 162 cm, while the average height of men increased by 4% from 170 cm to 177 cm. In 1905, one in four women was taller than the average man born in the same year.
However, there are downsides to being tall. While taller people tend to earn more money, they are also more prone to various cancers, as they may have more cells that can accumulate mutations leading to diseases.
Michael Wilson, professor of ecology, evolution, and behavior at the University of Minnesota, described the rapid growth in men's height and weight as "remarkable." According to him, this growth aligns with the long-standing idea that women are "more ecologically constrained" due to the energetic demands of reproduction, particularly in mammals where pregnancy and nursing are energetically costly. "When men grow up with energy-dense food, they grow larger bodies compared to women."
The researchers also examined historical records from the United Kingdom, where HDI increased from 0.8 in 1900 to 0.94 in 2022. During the first half of the 20th century, the average height of women increased by 1.9% from 159 cm to 162 cm, while the average height of men increased by 4% from 170 cm to 177 cm. In 1905, one in four women was taller than the average man born in the same year.
However, there are downsides to being tall. While taller people tend to earn more money, they are also more prone to various cancers, as they may have more cells that can accumulate mutations leading to diseases.
Michael Wilson, professor of ecology, evolution, and behavior at the University of Minnesota, described the rapid growth in men's height and weight as "remarkable." According to him, this growth aligns with the long-standing idea that women are "more ecologically constrained" due to the energetic demands of reproduction, particularly in mammals where pregnancy and nursing are energetically costly. "When men grow up with energy-dense food, they grow larger bodies compared to women."
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