10 unique facts about human height

Height is a very sensitive thing, especially for men. In Indonesia, the average height for men is 168 cm, while for women it is 163 cm. You would think that a child's height is due to their heredity, but is that true? To find out what are the unique facts about height, let's look at 10 facts below.

Various facts about human height

Some facts about human height that you need to know include:

1. Humans grow very fast in the first year

The first fact about height is that children in the first year seem to grow faster, so every parent has to keep buying new clothes per month. However, do you know exactly how your body grows? Humans tend to grow to their fullest and most rapidly when babies are in their first year of life. Babies grow to about 25 cm from birth to 1 year of age. Then, the height continues to increase until adolescence.

Women usually stop when they are 2-3 years after their first period. Some of the boys will continue to get taller into high school, while others will continue to grow into their 20s.

Have you ever noticed that your child is getting taller every night? This is caused by the growth hormone released during sleep. So, make sure that your child sleeps quietly throughout the night. This will help them grow to their full potential.

2. Height changes all the time

Not only does your weight vary from day to day, but your height is the same. You will have the highest body in the morning when you wake up, but at night your body will decrease by 1 cm. Doctors explain this phenomenon is caused by the spinal discs gripping the bones, so that the bones become erect throughout the day. When you sleep, your spine relaxes, so you are taller in the morning compared to the night.

3. Genes do not always influence overall height facts

Height fact is that your genes determine about 60-80 percent of your height, while the rest depends on environmental factors such as nutrition. Lifestyle and eating habits are the most important contributing environmental factors to height. Help your child to grow up by providing proper food, adequate rest, and good physical activity.

To ensure your child grows and develops, you must plan a balanced diet, such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, dairy products and lean protein for your child. These will supply the necessary vitamins and minerals and play a vital role in growth.

4. High stature has a risk of more cancer

Studies show that being tall can increase the risk of developing cancer. According to medical records, women have the highest risk of developing cancer over 37%. There are many cells in the body of a person who are tall, so that the number of cells has the possibility of causing cancer. But don't worry, because the risk of cancer is low. Instead of being busy avoiding cancer risk factors, you better avoid smoking, alcohol, and an unhealthy weight.

5. Tall bodies have more opportunities to earn money

Several studies have shown that taller people not only hold a higher job profile, but will also earn more money than those who are short. According to a classic study in the Journal of Applied Psychology, tall people earn more per year.

According to research, the higher a person is, the more it affects how he or she perceives oneself (which is called self-esteem) and how others perceive them (which is known as social self-esteem). Both of them have a huge influence on his job performance, which in turn affects the success of his career.

6. The fact that height shrinks when you are 40 years old

As you get older, you will experience shrinkage, but you certainly did not expect that shrinkage would happen any faster. Both men and women will begin to decline in height at the age of 40. You will probably lose 1 cm per decade.

This will happen because your spine loses water which causes it to gradually shrink. Diseases such as osteoporosis will weaken the bones and make the problem worse. However, you may be able to make your body look taller by improving your posture. This you can achieve with exercise and yoga asanas.

7.High body facts are good for heart health

Height is inversely related to the risk of heart disease. Research shows that adults who are short (under 160 cm) have a higher risk of developing heart disease. The researchers claimed that for every 6 cm difference, the risk increased by 13.5% for each individual.

8. Genes can affect the abnormal height

People who are very short are referred to as people who have the condition dwarfism , while very tall people have the condition gigantism . About one in 15,000 adults have dwarfism (has a height less than 155 cm). According to Michael J. Goldenberg, MD, head of the Dysplasia Clinic at Seattle Children's Hospital, that people experience dwarfism caused by a genetic mutation that makes bones grow short. On the other hand, gigantism occurs as a result of excess growth hormone during childhood, which is often caused by a benign tumor in the pituitary gland.

9. Cigarettes have an effect on height

A study in the Annals of Epidemiology found that boys who smoked frequently between the ages of 12 and 17 were 3 cm shorter than their nonsmoking counterparts, although the same effect was not seen in girls. Certain medical problems, including food allergies, hormonal imbalances, and heart, liver or kidney problems can also stunt growth in children because of certain medications (example: stimulant drugs for ADHD).

10. Girls are taller than boys

Girls reach their peak at puberty, which is usually between the ages of 11 and 12. Therefore, we often see in the classroom that girls are mostly taller than boys of the same age. Usually boys will grow quickly at the age of 13-14 years. However, with good nutrition, both of them will grow into the period leading to adulthood.