New research shows that Americans are coming up short, but not in terms of money or lifestyle. Our growing problem is with our height.
The study, conducted by the University of Munich and Princeton University, found that the United States had the shortest population in the industrialized world, and the reason may have to do with the way people live.
America’s first president, George Washington, stood a commanding 6-foot-2. In Washington’s day, our country’s residents were the tallest in the world.
“It’s well known that the Americans held the title for 200 years,” said University of Munich professor John Komlos. “Ever since the colonial times, the Americans were the tallest.”
Today the Netherlands towers above the rest of the world as the tallest country, with an average height of 6-foot 1, without the wooden shoes. In 1850, Americans were two inches taller than the Dutch.
In Denmark, men average 6 feet in height, a couple of inches taller than the American male average of 5-foot-10.
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Of course, I say this from the heights of 6-2.
Easy for the giant to say this. 😉
Annie,
Good point. I am curious to see if they factored in the immigrants.
I agree with Michael. Also, the average American height is affected by its immigrants. Our original immigrants were from places like England, Germany, and Scandinavia. Recent waves of immigration have included ethnicities who are not known for their height in the same way.
The correlation seems spurrious to me.
Oddly enough, that 5-10 American male average, is just about the same as the world’s average male height…. And it hasn’t changed in the US for a very long time.
American’s aren’t getting shorter; some Europeans are finally getting taller.
And finally, just remember that all of this is meaningless. If you measure Americans, Dutch, and Danes, you will find that there is more variation within the groups than between the groups…. Transalation: people are people.
Of course, I say this from the heights of 6-2.