The average height of Taiwanese adults of both genders has increased over the past few years, with the exception of two single-age groups: 18-year-old males and 15-year-old females, the latest data from the Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan showed.
The latest report, covering 2017 to 2020, showed that the average height of women and men aged 19 or older climbed to 157.0cm and 169.3cm respectively, compared with 156.8cm and 168.7cm in the previous report from 2013 to 2016.
A breakdown showed that the average height of all adult age groups — 19 to 44 years old, 45 to 64 years old, and 65 years and older — followed the same pattern of growth.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
The pattern is also the same in nearly all single-age groups of teenagers aged 13 to 18, with two exceptions — the average height of 18-year-old males was 173.3cm between 2013 and 2016, but dropped to 172.1cm between 2017 and 2020, while the average height of 15-year-old females slid from 160.5cm to 159.4cm in the two reports.
The sample sizes of the two single-aged group in both reports were relatively low at 41 to 79 people, compared with the sample size for other age groups of more than 1,500.
Citing the survey, a Chinese-language United Daily News article noted that the average height of 18-year-old Taiwanese males “shrank” by 1.2cm, while the average height of their female counterparts rose from 160.7cm in the 2013-2016 report to 161.2cm in the 2017-2020 report.
Taiwan Pediatric Association chairman Lee Hung-chang (李宏昌), a pediatrician at Mackay Memorial Hospital in Taipei, said in the article that based on his clinical observations, Taiwanese females have grown taller in recent years, which might be attributed to women exercising more.
In the past, girls were mostly taught to be gentle and docile, and encouraged to do indoor activities only, he said.
However, as Taiwanese break free of gender stereotypes, more girls are exercising and eating a balanced diet, leading to them growing taller, Lee said.
There is a rising trend of adolescents being brought to clinics for mental consultations due to heavy stress and being diagnosed with endocrine disorders, which affect the growth hormones, he said.
Taiwan Pediatric Association member Peng Chun-chih (彭純芝) said there are many factors that determine an adult’s final height, and medical experts suspect that environmental hormones could be one of them, but the evidence is not yet conclusive.
Childhood obesity is another problem due to poor, unhealthy diets, prolonged use of digital devices, staying up late and other factors that might affect children’s growth hormones, the report cited Peng as saying.
The survey was commissioned by the Health Promotion Administration to establish a long-term regular monitoring system to better understand public health and nutrition to use as a reference for drafting healthcare policies.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old