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Why the high life is making us
grow tall.
Better living standards lead to
humans growing taller. And while the Scots were taller than the English
200 years ago, they are now shorter, according to research released today.
The study, in a new book, The Changing Body, found that in the 1780s the
average height of a 14-year-old working-class child was 4ft 3in.
An upper-class child was “significantly taller” at 5ft 1in.
Today, with universal medical care and better nutrition, sanitation and
education, upper-class children have grown taller but at a slower rate
than working-class children.
Two centuries ago, the Scots were almost an inch taller than people in
southern England. Today the Scots, at 5ft 8in for an average adult male,
are almost an inch shorter than southerners. One of the authors of the new
study, Professor Bernard Harris, from the University of Southampton, said:
“Improvements in diet and sanitation in the South-east have outstripped
improvements in Scotland.”
He said: “Our work shows there have been dramatic changes in child health,
as reflected in achieved adult height, over the past 100 years. These
changes have profound implications for developments in later-life health,
longevity and economic performance.
Better living standards lead to humans growing taller
“Investments we make in the health of today’s children can play a pivotal
role in determining the economic wellbeing of future generations.” |
