Let’s start our day off right with some nonsense from the BBC
The average human height has gone up in industrialised countries ranging from the United Kingdom to the United States to Japan, with gains of up to 10 centimetres. But for height gains over the last 150 years, one nation stands head and shoulders above all others. Today, young Dutch men and women average around 184cm and 170cm in height, respectively – both, on average, 19cm taller than their mid-19th Century counterparts. “That’s a good number to shock people with,” says John Komlos, professor emeritus of economic history at the University of Munich.
Why have humans in general, and the Dutch in particular, got taller? Does this altitudinous trend show any sign of continuing and, for that matter, where might it end? Will our descendants living on space stations or on other worlds look upon their Earth-bound ancestors as hobbits?
The trend is most likely due to the prevalence of industrialized farming (cheap food), which means that people reach their maximum possible height. It would reverse itself pretty quickly if the whole foods people ruled.
Note: Your (News writer is less than five feet tall. That’s been quite helpful when living in crowded, cramped spaces.
See also: What we know about human evolution
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