Men's height increase is thanks to… women.

A new study shows that human stature has increased over the past century. However, this increase is not uniform between men and women.

A study published last week in the journal Biology Letters shows that men have grown in height and weight at twice the rate of increase seen in women - Photo: REUTERS

CNN, citing a new study, reports that human stature has increased over the past century thanks to better nutrition and health. However, this increase is not uniform between men and women.

A study published last week in the journal Biology Letters showed that men have grown twice as tall and heavy as women.

A research team from Italy, the US, and the UK analyzed 2003 data from the World Health Organization (WHO) on the height and weight of over 100,000 people from 69 countries. The authors also used data from the Human Development Index (HDI).

The research team found that for every 0.2 point increase in HDI, women's height increased by approximately 1.68 cm, and men's height increased by 4.03 cm. Average weight also increased by 2.70 kg for women and 6.48 kg for men.

This trend is also confirmed by analyzing data from the World Bank's Gini Index – a measure of national income inequality – across 58 countries from 2000 to 2006. A higher Gini coefficient indicates greater income inequality in a country.

High inequality is also associated with reduced height and weight among the population. According to the study, each increase in Gini unit is associated with an average decrease in height of approximately 0.14 cm in women and 0.31 cm in men, and an average decrease in weight of approximately 0.13 kg for women and 0.39 kg for men.

Co-author of the study, environmental physiologist Lewis Halsey (Roehampton University, UK), suggests that the difference in height growth rates between men and women is due to sexual selection. According to Halsey, men who were previously taller and heavier tended to be healthier, giving them an advantage over other men in attracting more women, thereby passing on genes for superior height.

Even today, "women still tend to prefer taller men," Halsey observes. Conversely, a woman's height is considered a less important factor, as men are less likely to say, "Oh, I only like tall women."

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/chieu-cao-dan-ong-tang-la-nho-dan-ba-20250127114920077.htm