See Just How Drastically Women's Heights Differ Around the World

Chances are, your girlfriends run the gamut of heights (we all have that barely 5' pal and also one who towers over everyone else). So what's the norm?

The average woman in the U.S. is 5'4", according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And heights totally vary around the globe, as you can see from the image above. The shortest ladies come from Bolivia—they stack up at just 4'8" on average—while the tallest hail from the Netherlands, at 5'7" on average.

Then there are the extremes.

Sandy Allen, who died in 2008 at age 53, was the tallest woman in the world during her lifetime. While she was an average size baby, she shot to 6'3" by the time she was 10 years old and 7'1" by the time she was 16 due to a tumor in her pituitary gland that caused her to grow uncontrollably. Meanwhile, Jyoti Amge is the teeniest woman in the world, at just 2'1". Jyoti, who was born in India, has a condition called achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism.

Celeb shawties:

It turns out your height can actually have some serious effects on your health, no matter what size you are. According to research presented at the European Society for Pediatric Endocrinology in October 2015, every four inches in height increases your risk of cancer by 20 percent. Other studies have found that women who are 5'10" and taller are actually 30 to 40 percent more likely to develop cancers such as melanoma, thyroid, kidney, breast, colon, and rectum than those who are 5'2" and shorter because they tend to have larger organs and more cells, which ups their risk of mutations forming.

Research from Albert Einstein College of Medicine has found that one of the genes linked to longevity is also linked to a shorter stature. But tall women have got their petite counterparts beat when it comes to heart health: According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, women who are 5'8" and above are 28 percent less likely to develop heart disease than those who are 5'3" and below. 

Another perk of being a beanstalk? You're less likely to develop gestational diabetes. Researchers speculate that the genes related to height have an effect on glucose tolerance. 

Celeb tall girls:

Betcha didn't know your height played such an important role in determining your health, did you? Consider yourself schooled.

Christina Heiser

Christina Heiser is a health reporter and writer specializing in overall wellness, nutrition, and beauty and skincare; she has held previous staff positions at Women’s Health, Everyday Health, and Webedia.