In the early 1960s, Wilt Chamberlain was one of only three men in the National Basketball Association who stood taller than 7 feet. But if he had played last season, he would have been one of 42. The physical condition of athletes in larger professional sports has changed dramatically over the years, and their managers have been more willing to adjust their players' uniforms to accommodate their players' larger, taller stature.
While this trend in sports may be clouding an unrecognized reality: Americans have essentially stopped growing. While people are now 2 inches taller than they were 140 years ago, especially those born to people who have immigrated to the U.S. for many generations, it is clear that the limits of their height were reached in the early 1960s. It was no longer possible for them to grow any taller. "Under this genetic and environmental condition, people as a whole have now grown as far as we can go," said William Cameron Chumlea, an anthropologist at Wright State University. Take NBA players, who have increased in height largely due to recruiting from around the world.
Height growth generally stops after the age of 20, and development requires energy and nutrients, with protein used to supply tissue growth. In the early 1900s, malnutrition and childhood diseases hindered overall growth. But when diet and health were promoted, children and adolescents grew an average of roughly 1.5 inches every 20 years, which is the trend of growing taller. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average height of people, 5 feet 9 inches for men and 5 feet 4 inches for women, hasn't changed much since 1960.
Overall, there are many advantages to avoiding being too tall. During labor, there are more problems with larger babies passing through the birth canal. And, even though humans have been walking upright for millions of years, our feet and backs continue to fight off the enormous stresses that come from a bipedal, upright posture and huge limbs. "There are limitations that result from the genetic structure of individual organs." said William Leonard, an anthropologist at Northwestern University.
Genetic maximization can be changed, but don't expect it to happen right away.Claire C. Gordon, a senior anthropologist at the Army Research Center in Natick, Mass, is confident that 90 percent of enlisted recruits won't need new uniforms and workstations. Unlike those basketball uniforms, she says, the length of the Army's uniforms hasn't changed in a long time. If you need to design a new device to predict human height in the near future, Gordon says basically, "you can use the data that's out there and feel very confident."
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In the early 1960s Wilt Chamberlain was one of only three players in the National Basketball Association (NBA) listed at over seven feet. If he had played last season, however, he would have been one of 42. The bodies playing major professional sports have changed dramatically over the years, and managers have been more than a few years old. The bodies playing major professional sports have changed dramatically over the years, and managers have been more than willing to adjust team uniforms to fit the growing numbers of bigger, longer frames.
The trend in sports, though, may be obscuring an anomaly.
The trend in sports, though, may be obscuring an unrecognized reality: Americans have generally stopped growing. Though typically about two inches taller now than 140 years ago, today's people - especially those born to families who have lived in the U.S. for many generations - apparently reached their limit in the early 1960s. And they aren't likely to get any taller. "In the general population today, at this genetic, environmental level, we're not going to get any taller. "In the general population today, at this genetic, environmental level, we've pretty much gone as far as we can go," says anthropologist William Cameron In the case of NBA players, their increase in height appears to result from the increasingly common practice of recruiting players from all over the world. In the case of NBA players, their increase in height appears to result from the increasingly common practice of recruiting players from all over the world.
Growth, which rarely continues beyond the age of 20, demands calories and nutrients - notably, protein - to feed the expanding population. At the start of the 20th century, under-nutrition and childhood infections got in the way. But as diet and health improved, children and their families were able to enjoy the benefits of the new diet. As diet and health improved, children and adolescents have, on average, increased in height by about an inch and a half every 20 years, a pattern known as the "secular trend in height". Yet according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, average height - 5′9″ for men, 5′4″ for women - hasn't really changed since 1960. - Yet according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, average height - 5′9″ for men, 5′4″ for women - hasn't really changed since 1960.
Genetically speaking, there are advantages to avoiding substantial height. During childbirth, larger babies have more difficulty passing through the birth canal. Moreover, even though humans have been upright for millions of Moreover, even though humans have been upright for millions of years, our feet and back continue to struggle with bipedal posture and cannot easily withstand repeated strain imposed by oversize limbs." There are some real constraints that are set by the genetic architecture of the individual organism," says anthropologist William Leonard of Northwestern University.
Genetic maximums can change, but don't expect this to happen soon. Claire C. Gordon, senior anthropologist at the Army Research Center, has been working on this project for several years. Claire C. Gordon, senior anthropologist at the Army Research Center in Natick, Mass., ensures that 90 percent of the uniforms and workstations fit recruits without alteration. She says that, unlike those for basketball, the length of military uniforms has not changed for some time. And if you need to predict human height in the near future to design a piece of equipment, Gordon says that by and large, "you could use today's data and feel fairly confident. "