Despite vast differences in geography and climate, humans around the world are fairly similar in height and weight during their lifespans. Children's height and weight vary more than adults' because children grow at different rates depending on genetics and environmental factors, especially nutrition. The average adult male in the world stands 5 feet 7.5 inches and the average adult female stands 5 feet 3 inches tall.
Children
What's considered to be the normal height and weight for children varies widely, but pediatricians and doctors use growth charts to follow a child's development to make sure he or she is healthy. Separate growth charts are used for girls and boys from birth to 36 months and from 2 to 20 years old. Premature infants and children born with some types of birth defects have separate growth charts. The average 10-year-old girl is roughly 4 feet 6 inches and weighs 73 lbs., while the average 10-year-old boy is 4 feet 7 inches and weighs 70 lbs., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Growth Charts. Young children may also have their head measurements taken and tracked during routine exams. Very slow head growth or very fast head growth may indicate potential medical problems.
Average Male and Female
The average height of American men is 5 feet 9.4 inches, and the average height of American women is 5 feet 3.7 inches as of 2008, according to CDC data. Since the 1960s, the mean height for men and women has increased by about an inch, while their mean weight has increased by 24 lbs. Statistically, 68 percent, or slightly more than two-thirds of people, fall within a 6-inch range from the mean height. The Dinaric Alps are home to the world's tallest average people and Indonesia is home to the world's shortest average people. The tallest man on record was Guinness World Record-holder Robert Wadlow, who topped out at 8 feet 11.1 inches.
Gigantism and Dwarfism
At the extremes of average are dwarfism and gigantism. Gigantism refers to people who are several standard deviations beyond average; it doesn't mean someone who is just very tall. People with gigantism may have a tumor on their pituitary gland, which is what causes the excessive growth. Giants may also have health issues involving their skeletal system or circulatory system. Dwarfism is also a medical condition and can be caused by many things, including bone-growth disorders and a lack of growth hormone. Dwarf adults are usually less than 4 feet tall.
Weight
The body mass index and the weight-to-hip ratio are two tools used to determine obesity. Obesity is defined as weighing more than what is considered healthy for a given height. The BMI uses your height and weight to calculate a ratio, and that number is used to determine if you are underweight, normal, overweight or obese. People with ratios of 18.5 and less are considered to be underweight. Normal weights range from a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9. BMIs of 25 to 29.9 are overweight, and a BMI over 30 is considered to be obese. The BMI has been criticized because it does not consider factors such as how fit an individual may be, but as a general guideline it can be helpful.
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