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Thanks to better nutrition, hygiene, and health, Americans enjoyed a growth spurt over the past century — growing both taller and wider.

Understandably, much of the media focus has been on the alarming amount of weight we’ve put on due to our consumption of ultra-processed foods, larger portion sizes, and a general lack of physical activity. 

The average American has gained 25 pounds since 1960, according to the CDC, while three out of four adults are now considered obese, with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater.

But even though there haven’t been as many headlines, Americans have also been inching skyward, with the average American man adding three inches in height since 1900, to 5 feet 10 inches, while the American woman’s height increased an average of one inch, to 5 feet 4 inches. (Teenagers, on average, are growing even faster than that).