Standing tall - average height of Americans

American Demographics, April, 1997 by Kevin Heubusch

My grandfather stood at the back of the line in his regiment in World War I. He was the tallest soldier. My father was taller still, and my brothers and I are taller than my father. My sister sums up the rapid family growth in two words: Wonder Bread.

She's on the right track, according to Richard Steckel, professor of economics and anthropology at Ohio State University. All those loaves of vitamin-fortified bread did grow Americans bigger and bigger -- for a while. Our national growth spurt ended about three decades ago. And that should concern us, Steckel says, because height is an important indicator of a country's health, particularly the health of its children. Children who are healthy during their formative years tend to grow taller.

The average U.S. resident stands about 9 centimeters taller than he did 100 years ago. But we are no longer the tallest people in the world. John Doe is now 175 centimeters tall (5 feet 9 inches). The Dutch and Norwegians are tallest, at 178 centimeters. Swedes average 177 centimeters in height. The Dutch and Scandinavians now look down on us primarily because of widespread access to good pre- and post-natal care, Steckel says.

We can't blame immigrants for our stature status. Steckel's calculations suggest that even the large numbers of immigrants from relatively slight Asian countries don't explain why the U.S. has been surpassed in height. Although the U.S. is among the most advanced in the world in its medical technology and knowledge of nutrition, many people still lack nutritional awareness and sufficient access to health care, Steckel says.

For more information, see Steckel's article in the December 1995 issue of the Journal of Economic Literature, or contact him at Ohio State University; telephone (614) 292-5008.