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"Updated" average height?

Discussion in 'Chit Chat' started by Krilky, Jun 18, 2013.

  1. Krilky

    Krilky Guest

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    I know that the average American male has a height of 5'10". But I was thinking:
    There are lots of overweight kids now, and overweight people tend to grow taller because they have nourishment to spare.
    The number of undernourished kids has fallen.
    Teen smoking is down.
    So basically, I'm thinking that the average adult height for my peers (those born from 92-98) will be significantly taller than 5'10".
    Does anyone know if doctors have studied this? Or how tall the average 25 year-old American male is right now?

    Ditto for women. The only reason I'm talking about men is that I'm kind of short and I want to know how I compare.
     
  2. Hexagon

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    Oh, how terrible. I'm of an average height now, but I don't want to lose that...

    I don't know the answer to any of your questions though. Sorry. Don't worry about it though. You have no control over it.
     
  3. Harve

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    I read somewhere that the average American guy has been slightly shrinking for a few decades whereas the average European guy's height is still growing, though I can't find the article. It did say that the causes are largely unknown as obesity in childhood and adolescence, which is more rife in the USA, bears little correlation with adult height, although I'm sure there are other factors. Northern Europeans are generally taller, the Dutch being the tallest at ~183cm (cheers, Google!).

    Why Have Americans Stopped Growing Taller? - ABC News

    This isn't the article, but it's something.
     
  4. teluphone

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    For Asian men i always thought the average height is around 170cm as we have often been compared to be somewhat shorter to the average american man but i could be wrong
     
  5. Ridiculous

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    "overweight people tend to grow taller because they have nourishment to spare."

    Overweight people may be at lower risk of having stunted growth (maybe), but that doesn't mean they grow taller than someone of a healthy weight. Growth is obviously going to be capped at a certain point.
    Also growth depends on more than just energy intake; being overweight (i.e. having an excessive energy intake) doesn't immediately mean that you are getting all of the nutrients you need, which would also contribute to growth stunting. I believe that overweight people often have higher rates of nutritional deficiency than people of lower weights due to the consumption of energy-dense but otherwise nutritionally devoid foods.