TRIVIAL PURSUITS: What Is Normal Body Temperature for Humans?

Is 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (F) actually the normal for most people?

According to WebMD, not everyone’s “normal” body temperature is the same. A German doctor in the 19th century set the standard at 98.6 F, but more recent studies say the baseline for most people is closer to 98.2 F.

For a typical adult, body temperature can be anywhere from 97 F to 99 F. Babies and children have a little higher range: 97.9 F to 100.4 F.

Body temperature doesn’t stay same all day, and it will vary throughout a lifetime, too. Some things that cause a person’s temperature to move around during the day include:

• How active he/she is;
• What time of day it is;
• Age;
• Gender;
• What a person has eaten or had to drink; and
• Other considerations for women.