Men’s Average Height and Its Role in Overall Health

The average height for men plays a significant role in assessing the human race's development, apart from men’s profession. It is often a topic of discussion during substantial periods of marriage and finding jobs like in armed forces. While the average male height ranges from 5 feet 3 inches to 6 feet 0.4 inches, it can vary significantly from place to place and race to race. The present article deeply discusses the average human height, normal height for men, and the factors influencing the best height for men.  

Necessity of measurement:

Height is defined as the distance from the bottom of the foot to the top of the head when an individual is standing erect. The measurement of average human height is necessary for the following reasons:

• It serves as a marker for cumulative net nutrition.  
• It helps to understand the biological deprivation
• It is a marker for the standard of living between and within populations  
• It serves as an indicator of population health  
• It has a strong association with health outcomes such as mortality, morbidity, and intergenerational health.  
• It can be used as a part of routine health monitoring  

Factors influencing the male height:

Various factors influence the average height of men. The average male height is a complex interplay of genetic, nutritional, socioeconomic, and environmental factors that contribute to height variation across various populations and generations. Some of them are:

• Genetics: genetics play a vital role in determining average male height. Different genes that are related to height have been identified that contribute to height variation. Transmission of parental genes influences the stature of the individual. Genetics and environment are the major determinants that influence height potential.  
• Environmental factors: Environmental factors such as climate and geography also led to the evolution of a lesser average height for men.  Exposure to environmental toxins such as aflatoxins and other environmental pollutants can severely impair the absorption of nutrients and overall health affecting the normal height for men.  
• Nutrition: Nutrition is another external determinant of height. Proper nutrition during early childhood and adolescence significantly influences growth which in turn influences the best height for men. Some of the key factors in nutrition that influence height include:
• Intake of high-quality protein-rich food contributes to a linear increase in growth.  Deficiencies in essential micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals, can lead to stunted growth in turn affecting height. Some of them can be corrected by providing pregnant women with maternal supplementations that improve offspring growth outcomes as poor maternal nutrition can lead to growth and height retardation of the baby, low birth weight, and shorter adult average male height.  
• Deficiencies in Postnatal Nutrition: Postnatal nutrition during the first two years of life is particularly crucial as malnutrition can lead to stunting growth and height, with limited potential for gross changes in the growth and height later in adolescence.
• Diseases and Overall Health: various diseases and the average health conditions in childhood and adolescence influence the optimal growth pattern in individuals. Infectious Diseases, chronic inflammatory diseases, specific medical treatments, and medications reduce the absorption of nutrients and their utilization in growth leading to stunting and decreased average height for men.  
• Hormonal factors: Diseases such as gigantism and dwarfism that occur due to hormonal disturbances also influence the normal height for men. Pituitary gland tumors, enlargements, excess secretion of growth hormones, deficiency of the hormones, shorter bone development, and growth restriction diseases lead to reduced average human height.  
• Socioeconomic conditions: Socioeconomic factors play an important role in determining normal height for men. Access to good nutrition, healthcare, and overall living conditions determine the overall growth and height of the individuals.  
• A better financial situation in the family gives access to nutritious food, healthcare facilities, and sanitation that contribute to better average height for men. The education status of the parents and household environment affect the growth and average male height in the family.  
• Height differences between the urban and rural populations are largely influenced by the socioeconomic status of the families, economic disparities, and their access to better healthcare and dietary choices that are seen in urban areas when compared to rural areas.  
• Growth spurts: A sudden spurt in growth influences the final average height for men. These include the early childhood and the adolescence phase. The early childhood phase is most important for linear growth. Factors such as nutritional deficiencies, infections, and environmental conditions lead to long-lasting influence on the average male height as catch-up of height is restricted after this period. The adolescence period from Pre-Puberty to Puberty allows catch-up growth in those with early childhood growth retardation. However, malnutrition in the earlier days leads to delayed puberty often leading to partial recovery of growth and height.
• Secular Trends: The average human height has significantly increased in high-income countries due to significant influence on nutrition, healthcare, sanitation, and living standards. However, certain African areas have seen stagnation or reversal of the average human height and growth due to environmental and socioeconomic conditions. Studies have shown that the normal height for men is high in the Netherlands with an average height of 183.8 centimeters while the best height for men in Timor-Leste is least with an average height of 160.1 centimeters.  
• Intergenerational influence: The average male height is not only an individual trait but also an indicator of intergenerational health. The mother's height strongly influences the baby’s height. Shorter height in women leads to an increased risk of congenital malformations, low birth weight and premature birth, increased risk of mortality, stunted growth, cesarean birth, and complications in pregnancy. 

Role of height in overall health:

• The average human height plays an important role in the overall individual’s health.
• Studies show that short men have an increased risk of heart disease while tall men have an increased risk of pulmonary and aortic aneurysms. Height also has an inverse relationship with diabetes and other metabolic diseases.  
• Research shows that certain cancers like colorectal, prostate, and testicular cancer are high in tall men while stomach and esophageal cancers are more seen in short men.  
• The lungs are better developed functionally in tall men with a lower risk of respiratory infections.  
• Due to their length and other biomechanical factors, tall men are at an increased risk of bone fractures, scoliosis, and joint issues.  
• As tall men are preferred in marriages and for certain jobs, they have better psychological health when compared to shorter men who have low self-esteem and reduced opportunities in life.  
• Tall parents generally give birth to healthier children, as they have better early nutrition than those with stunted growth.  

Is it possible to increase height:

The best height for men can be achieved during the early stages by providing better nutrition for pregnant mothers. The early growth spurt and the adolescent phase of the child should be taken care of by providing better nutrition to achieve normal height for men. Limb lengthening surgeries should be restricted to diseases like skeletal dysplasias, fractures, and infections.  

Height is just one factor that determines the individual's overall health. Being a unique genetic identifier, the average height in men can be influenced by many factors. Regular screenings and health checkups can help one reach the best height for men.