View Full Version : Study finds Europeans are taller then Americans [on average] der=0
Shug_Ninx
20-04-2004, 07:19
http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/?040405fa_fact
Steckel has found that Americans lose the most height to Northern Europeans in infancy and adolescence, which implicates pre- and post-natal care and teen-age eating habits.[quote]
[quote]As America’s rich and poor drift further apart, its growth curve may be headed in the opposite direction, Komlos and others say. The eight million Americans without a job, the forty million without health insurance, the thirty-five million who live below the poverty line are surely having trouble measuring up. And they’re not alone. As more and more Americans turn to a fast-food diet, its effects may be creeping up the social ladder, so that even the wealthy are growing wider rather than taller.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3625031.stm
He discovered that, at the time of the American War of Independence in 1775, the average American man was 5ft 9 - about two inches taller than the average British man.
Now, the tables have been turned - with the British around half an inch taller than the Americans, who have now reached an average height of 5ft 10.
But Dutch men have an even bigger height advantage over the Americans - they reach an average of 6ft 1.
Pretty interesting stuff. I'm about 5" 8 1/2 and I consider myself very lucky. When I was little I lived in Romania and I dont think communist countries tended to have good pre-natel care [my mother actually died while having an abortion :( ]. My dad was also shorter then my mother and since I've moved to America, I outgrew them both - or just about almost anyone in my original biological family I guess....
Anyways, I attribute this to my parents at least mostly eating at home, with moderately decent food cooked at the table. Still, if I HAD gotten better pre-natel care I wonder if I would've added a few inches to my height. I so want to be 5"11 or something. Oh well, its interesting that this study shows that pre-natel care can be just as important as having a balanced meal as a kid and teenager to growing up to a decent height.
I guess this also smashes the popular belief that Americans are the tallest in the world. We used to be at at one point, now we've been outstripped and the Japanese are gaining on us. Uh-oh.
Bah. I'm probably one of the tallest person here at 6'3"-6'4"... Canadians are teh uber tall.
Suicidal Zebra
20-04-2004, 07:28
Bah. I'm probably one of the tallest person here at 6'3"-6'4"... Canadians are teh uber tall.
Bah, at 6'1" to 6'2", I am a short-arse.
*books more sessions on the rack*
Wuhan_Clan
20-04-2004, 07:31
It always seems that no matter where you live, the farther north you are, the taller you are. And everyone stuck on the equator are midgets.
cyclotronic
20-04-2004, 07:42
I'm well above 6 foot. I live in alaska. Grew up on steak.
I need the extra height to tackle the moose that wander freely through my cluster of igloos.
I wish I was a viking!
DurfBarian
20-04-2004, 07:44
Canadians are short. They have to be, because if you have lengthy extremities they will freeze and fall off during the winter and then they'll be eaten by ice weasels.
Canadians are short. They have to be, because if you have lengthy extremities they will freeze and fall off during the winter and then they'll be eaten by ice weasels.
Then how do you explain me? Huh? HUH? You're so full of it, shorty. :xtongue:
DurfBarian
20-04-2004, 07:48
I can't explain you. I can barely type, since the ice weasels ate my arms during that last ski trip.
I can't explain you. I can barely type, since the ice weasels ate my arms during that last ski trip.
Fool. Canada's main export is the anti-weasel product Weasel-B-Gone... don't you ever think ahead when you pack?
Shorty.
cyclotronic
20-04-2004, 07:55
I'm taller then 97% of everyone. Eat it.
Gogogo high protein.
*eats Cyclo*
*absorbs his powers of height and grows even taller*
pwned.
DurfBarian
20-04-2004, 07:59
Me = 188cm tall. How do other people here stack up?
Suicidal Zebra
20-04-2004, 08:05
Me = 188cm tall. How do other people here stack up?
Well, that is around 0.001014 UK Nautical Miles, which is roughly as tall as me. Be Proud.
I'm built like a brick ****house. That's all you need to know. :strong: :teeth:
DurfBarian
20-04-2004, 08:28
Square-cornered and stinky?
Square-cornered and stinky?
Full of ****, too.
196 centimetre [cm] equivalent to: 6.43043 foot [ft]
am i tall?
"But Dutch men have an even bigger height advantage over the Americans - they reach an average of 6ft 1."
This i find funny :thumbsup:
Height isn't all it's cracked up to be. I'm always the one elected to change the light bulbs and scrape the pancakes off the ceiling. :(
Stevinator
20-04-2004, 11:52
196 centimetre [cm] equivalent to: 6.43043 foot [ft]
am i tall?
"But Dutch men have an even bigger height advantage over the Americans - they reach an average of 6ft 1."
This i find funny :thumbsup:
6.43 ft? centimetre? what the heck? 6.5 is 6'6" that's tall as micheal jordan. 6.3333 is 6'4" so you're like 6'5". that's taller than me.
I'm 5'9".
I am 191-192cm tall. Bout 6'3.
ULTIMATER
20-04-2004, 12:38
Im 1.88, that makes 6.1-2 or something?
Drosselmeier
20-04-2004, 12:59
I´m 192cm tall... that´s 6' 3". Yay me! Must be all that viking blood pumping through my veins :)
175cm, but I'm a hippy, pinko, long-hair. On the bright side, I'm never uncomfortable in an airplane seat.
5'4... AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
163 cm.. still growin though..
Im from sweden and I am 194,5-195 or something.
Thats like 6'4" right?
Intolerance
20-04-2004, 14:11
I'm 6'7 and I look like this! (http://www.toppics4u.com/brad-pitt/images/brpi1.jpg) I also drive a Ferrari and live in a 6 million dollar mansion (when I'm not traveling the world in my private jet, of course). Monica (http://perso.wanadoo.fr/monica-bellucci/albums%20couleurs/images/80_jpg.jpg) is my current girlfriend. She's been really cool since she knows I'm still getting over a nasty breakup with Anna (http://www.terra.com/fox/especiales/bellasybellos2003/img/328x200/anna-kournikova.jpg).
You guys are all liars! No way you guys are ~6'5''. That's insane. One or too maybe but not all of you! BULL BULL! This is as much bull as people saying their score on the SAT was 1590-1600! Or their IQ test was _____. Which turns out to be higher than Einstein and other smart people.
In closing, how is the wheather up there?
Drosselmeier
20-04-2004, 15:48
I agree with corneo and Intolerance a little here... This is kind of like one of those SAT/IQ threads where either everyone lies or those who scored poorly don´t answer.
We all know Dolph and I are telling the truth since we are of a tall and statuesque race, but the rest of you are all runty little foreigners and should just own up to it. Stop taking away from my being tall darn it.
*enters to balance out the number of tall people*
I'm 170cm
I'll be honest and say I am only 5'6''. But hey at least I am taller than those omppa lomppas.
ZeppelinAngel
20-04-2004, 16:14
i'm 5'3, i'm very tall, all fear me :scared:
In closing, how is the wheather up there?
It's raining. *spits on Corneo* :teeth:
And I'm not any liar here since I've stated in many threads before what my height is.
PsychoticDiah888
20-04-2004, 18:39
I'm about 6'2" give or take a quarter of an inch, and I can say I don't often cross many people that are much taller than me when I walk around campus but, there are still some of the 7'+ guys that are on the basketball team and whatnot that just tower over me.
Steve_Kow
20-04-2004, 21:07
I'm 6 feet tall, and I've noticed that I'm a bit taller than most of the people I come across during the day.
It's raining. *spits on Corneo* :teeth:
And I'm not any liar here since I've stated in many threads before what my height is.
Oh yea? Its flooding down here.
*Pees on Anakha*
SuggestiveName
20-04-2004, 21:19
I am seriously 6'5", maybe more like 6' 4.5" but whatever. But I'm also mostly german so that could explain it some. Lots of tall people are represented in this thread because they (we?) are more likely to post their height than a short person would be, in general. Same thing about the SAT threads, no one is gonna post about their 950 score.
Usufruct
20-04-2004, 21:28
I too am somewhere between 6'4.5" and 6'5". Eat my shorts, Europe.
SaroDarksbane
20-04-2004, 21:31
Height isn't all it's cracked up to be. I'm always the one elected to change the light bulbs and scrape the pancakes off the ceiling. :(
True that.
People at work are always saying things like "I wish I was taller."
And I say, "Why? So you can run errands and reach things for the short people?"
Usufruct
20-04-2004, 21:34
It's cool because you can belittle people by calling them 'short stuff' or 'elf-boy'
cleanupguy
20-04-2004, 21:57
It doesn't matter who's taller. I make enough money to make the tall guys do stuff for me anyway. Like when I'm moving or need to bring home a 60" projection TV, etc, and I'm not even 30 yet! :yep:
By the way, I'm 5'10". HAHAHAHA
i'm 3 meters at least [/lie].
It doesn't matter who's taller. I make enough money to make the tall guys do stuff for me anyway. Like when I'm moving or need to bring home a 60" projection TV, etc, and I'm not even 30 yet! :yep:
By the way, I'm 5'10". HAHAHAHA
Damn, that's pretty big (The 60" projection TV that is :p) the largest one we sell at my work is a 48" :(
Ah well, back to the topic, I'm 6ft2 and a half, from Scotland...bring on the haggis! :drool:
cleanupguy
20-04-2004, 22:07
Damn, that's pretty big (The 60" projection TV that is :p) the largest one we sell at my work is a 48" :(
Ah well, back to the topic, I'm 6ft2 and a half, from Scotland...bring on the haggis! :drool:
You bet ya it's big. $5200 and 6 year extended warranty. OMG. Have you ever watched HD ESPN on this thing? Those poor white guys though. They were like 6'5, and carried the darn thing up the stone steps, into the entrace and all the way in the living room. Had to rearrange the TV couple times because I couldn't find the right place. :winner:
{KOW}Spazed
20-04-2004, 22:33
I am 5'7" I feel short now. Then again we have a lot of guys at my school who are well over 6 foot. Like the varsity linebackers, they could squish me(and often do) without noticing. Blasted 6'8" guys wieghing 290. . .gerrr
cleanupguy
20-04-2004, 22:38
I am 5'7" I feel short now. Then again we have a lot of guys at my school who are well over 6 foot. Like the varsity linebackers, they could squish me(and often do) without noticing. Blasted 6'8" guys wieghing 290. . .gerrr
You don't need to feel short. It's not the height that matters. It's what's in your brain. Most of the tall guys playing football, etc. will be working at either Safeway or checking the oil on your cars. You just make sure that you get good education and apply yourself fully! :surprise:
SuggestiveName
20-04-2004, 22:57
:rolleyes:
You don't need to feel short. It's not the height that matters. It's what's in your brain. Most of the tall guys playing football, etc. will be working at either Safeway or checking the oil on your cars. You just make sure that you get good education and apply yourself fully! :surprise: What an idiotic generalization, yes all tall guys are teh stup1d. :rolleyes:
Wuhan_Clan
20-04-2004, 23:03
You guys are all liars! No way you guys are ~6'5''. That's insane. One or too maybe but not all of you! BULL BULL! This is as much bull as people saying their score on the SAT was 1590-1600! Or their IQ test was _____. Which turns out to be higher than Einstein and other smart people.
In closing, how is the wheather up there?I am 5' 7". I scored 1400 on my SATs. I don't know what my IQ is. My favorite flavor of ice-cream is strawberry cheesecake. I can disjoint my thumbs at will and make clicking noises.
cleanupguy
20-04-2004, 23:05
:rolleyes: What an idiotic generalization, yes all tall guys are teh stup1d. :rolleyes:
Nope Nope. Not all tall guys. Didn't say that :flip:
Tall guys playing FOOTBALL. There's a difference. :lol:
cleanupguy
20-04-2004, 23:07
I am 5' 7". I scored 1400 on my SATs. I don't know what my IQ is. My favorite flavor of ice-cream is strawberry cheesecake. I can disjoint my thumbs at will and make clicking noises.
That's DISGUSTING...
being able to disjoint your thumbs that is. *Shudders*
5'10...Must reach 6 feet... Must reach 6 feet
*Streches legs*
IDupedInMyPants
21-04-2004, 00:54
In Sociology 101 they told us that things like socialization and general emotional health can greatly effect your physical growth. You have certain biological potentials and you either reach them or don't based more or less on your upbringing, to simplify the explanation. I think that probably explains the fact that all these people who have the OTF in common are taller than average. You guys seem to have all been nurtured and supported pretty well during the crucial periods, making you relatively smart and big bastards.
Diet is also a part of it, especially during growth spurts. I think a lot of kids here are spoiled and get to eat whatever the hell they want, I've met people who made it to adulthood literally without knowing what was good for them.
Some people are just freaks and some people have lower or higher biological potential for growth than others, so this doesn't fit every case obviously. But I think it explains the averages and the averages of certain sub-cultures of a society that conflict with the overall averages.
Explains why my dad is 5'6 and my moms 5'2 :teeth:
cleanupguy
21-04-2004, 01:46
In Sociology 101 they told us that things like socialization and general emotional health can greatly effect your physical growth. You have certain biological potentials and you either reach them or don't based more or less on your upbringing, to simplify the explanation. I think that probably explains the fact that all these people who have the OTF in common are taller than average. You guys seem to have all been nurtured and supported pretty well during the crucial periods, making you relatively smart and big bastards.
Diet is also a part of it, especially during growth spurts. I think a lot of kids here are spoiled and get to eat whatever the hell they want, I've met people who made it to adulthood literally without knowing what was good for them.
Some people are just freaks and some people have lower or higher biological potential for growth than others, so this doesn't fit every case obviously. But I think it explains the averages and the averages of certain sub-cultures of a society that conflict with the overall averages.
I gotta drive home, so I don't have time to check the answer, but you forgot to mention your height, Dupe.
Were you nurtured and supported growing up? :lol:
I am 6' 4" closing in of 6' 5" and according to my orthopedic when I shattered my arm I shouldn't be anywhere close to stopping.
And my SAT was 130....are you happy now?
times ten
Oh yea? Its flooding down here.
*Pees on Anakha*
It's getting windy. Watch out for flying debris. *kicks Corneo in the head* :D
I wonder how many mexicans are in europe...
Bah. I'm probably one of the tallest person here at 6'3"-6'4"... Canadians are teh uber tall.
nah, just like me - 6'3'' - im sure there are a few 6'3''ers in teh house. :)
p.s i r 16
It's getting windy. Watch out for flying debris. *kicks Corneo in the head* :D
Oh yea? *Castrates Anakha* Err boating accident.
I'm also 6'3", and very Canadian aswell.
Deadbolt'd
21-04-2004, 04:06
Well, I'm about 5' 9, and I'm 13. I'm as tall as a ton of high schoolers in the area. I guess that means I'm cool. :bow:
-DB
IDupedInMyPants
21-04-2004, 04:09
I gotta drive home, so I don't have time to check the answer, but you forgot to mention your height, Dupe.
Were you nurtured and supported growing up? :lol:
I'm 5'11" and I actually grew up pretty not privileged, I'll just leave it at that. My genetic makeup is mostly germanic and native american (hell if I know how that happened) so that may explain my size differing from the average.
cyclotronic
21-04-2004, 04:50
6'3 and 190. + I r 16+ i r growing still
Oh yea? *Castrates Anakha* Err boating accident.
Uhhh... err... ah screw it... ARMAGEDDON! *kills Corneo*
Damn it...you win. You big cheater. *Clicks reports button*
mysnistaken
21-04-2004, 05:29
It always seems that no matter where you live, the farther north you are, the taller you are. And everyone stuck on the equator are midgets.
its weird because i've heard that tall people tend to live in hotter climates because people that are tall and thin dissipate heat better..where as people who live in colder climates tend to be short and fat...i guess it doesn't apply to everyone.
I'm ~5' 10" and 15...but somehow taller than a lot of people at my school
SquareRootOfBob
21-04-2004, 05:31
Fast food arguement = bull feces
I practically grew up on fast food, and *measures self* I'm reaching 6'3" now. I eat a lot less fast food now, though, but I've always been taller than most people at my age. (16 now, and I haven't stopped growing)
Not everyone is the same though bob, you may be able to flourish on a fast food diet, but other people may become stunted midgets if they do the same.
Who knows, maybe you'd be even bigger if you ate 100% properly, but then again maybe not.
its weird because i've heard that tall people tend to live in hotter climates because people that are tall and thin dissipate heat better..where as people who live in colder climates tend to be short and fat...i guess it doesn't apply to everyone.
I'm ~5' 10" and 15...but somehow taller than a lot of people at my school
Or anyone, for that matter. Consider that Canadians are just as tall as anyone and thinner than Americans.
wow, 2 other people that are 16 and 6'3'' :)
damn you! :rant:
by the end of this year we are going to have a race! and see who is tallest.
(by... Dec 20th?)
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