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Is it possible for your head to be too heavy?

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Here's a hint: when people call you big headed they aren't telling you to measure the weight of your noggin.

Asked by: Lori Sautter, USA

An adult head weighs between 5kg and 6.3kg. Your neck muscles could cope with more weight, but an abnormally large head is usually a sign that something else is wrong.

Proteus syndrome, for example, is caused by an extremely rare mutation in the AKT1 gene, right at the start of embryonic development. This causes excessive bone and tissue growth, and depending where the affected cells end up, it can cause a wildly oversized head.

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Luis Villazon

Q&A expert

Luis trained as a zoologist, but now works as a science and technology educator. In his spare time he builds 3D-printed robots, in the hope that he will be spared when the revolution inevitably comes.