Americans shrinking, Europeans growing taller

[Frozzy]

Poverty and poor diet mean the average US man is getting smaller, while Europeans keep growing taller

Researchers have made a startling discovery: Americans are shrinking. A nation once famed for its strapping, well-nourished youth is gradually diminishing in physical stature.

By contrast, the heights of men and women from Europe are increasing inexorably.

New research has shown some unexpected disparities between statures of Americans and Europeans, indicating that recent social changes and diet are major influences on adult height.

For British men, too, are outstripping their transatlantic rivals. At the time of the American Revolution, the average US male was two inches taller than his British counterpart. Today he is almost half an inch shorter.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1185457,00.html

Admittedly not the greatest source, but it's from the Observer so it's not too bad.

In Europe, there is - in most countries - good health service provision for most members of society and plenty of protein in most people's diets. As a result, children do not suffer illnesses that would blight their growth or suffer problems of malnutrition. For that reason, we have continued to grow and grow.'

On the other hand, America has eight million people with no job, 40 million individuals with no health insurance, 35 million living below the poverty line, and a population that exists mainly on junk food. There, the rise in average height that marked its progress as a nation through the 19th and 20th centuries has stopped and has actually reversed - albeit very slightly - in recent years. Many Americans are rich and do well anatomically as a result, but there is a large underclass that is starting to drag the country down the stature charts.

As well, according to Canadian government surveys, Europeans tend to spend more of their income on food since they often go for better food, in other words higher quality and healthier food items.

British - 6.9% of disposable income on food
Germans - 7.73%
French - 9.21%
Italians - 10.58%

Americans - paltry 5.49%

Survival of the thinnest, I suppose.

 

[Gonz]

Poverty and poor diet mean the average US man is getting smaller,

That is the funniest thing I've read in a long time. The US poverty rate is almost nil (sorry, when the poor have microwaves & automobiles they ain't impoverished) & our healthcare is the best in the world.

The average may have changed because of our immigrants, not our poor.

 

[Oz]

What the americans lack in height.........they make up in width!

 

[Frozzy]

If you read the whole article, they dismiss the effect of immigration. It's not as if Europe has been starved of immigration in recent years, either.

 

[Frozzy]

What the americans lack in height.........they make up in width!

America. A nation of fat dwarfs

 

[Gonz]

If you read the whole article, they dismiss the effect of immigration. It's not as if Europe has been starved of immigration in recent years, either.

I didn't know that half of your 13% hispanic population was third world last week.

 

[Frozzy]

Surely you had a similar amount of immigrants in the 1800s as to now, no? It's not as though the society has changed dramatically.

 

[Gonz]

Surely you had a similar amount of immigrants in the 1800s as to now, no? It's not as though the society has changed dramatically.

17th-early 20 century immigration was primarily European. The last 50 years has shown a huge jump in Mexican, central & south Americans.

 

[Gonz]

See if you can compare food costs also. This is one of the most expensive markets in the area.

 

[Frozzy]

With the survey I just showed, that is a percentage of disposible income, in other words income means stuff all.

 

[Oz]

America. A nation of fat dwarfs

Now, now.......I didn't say that at all.......if I wanted to insult americans (instead of making a crap "width" joke) ..... I'm very capable thank you

 

[Gonz]

With the survey I just showed, that is a percentage of disposible income, in other words income means stuff all.

Let's compare apples to apples. Income is irrelvent. We may have less espensive food, thus teh percentage would naturally be less.

 

[Frozzy]

How can income be irrelevant when the entire point of that survey was food spending over dispoible income?

 

[Gonz]

a percentage of disposible income

Not dollars (pounds) spent.

 

[Gonz]

America has eight million people with no job, 40 million individuals with no health insurance, 35 million living below the poverty line,

3%

14%

12%-Our poverty line is higher than most countries GDP, per capita.

The government's poverty line varies by age and family size, and changes over time with the cost of living. In 2002, an individual under 65 earning up to $9,359 per year was living in poverty. For a family of four, the poverty line was drawn at $18,244 annually.

 

[Gonz]

Don't run away. I'm curious what food costs in European groceries.

 

[Frozzy]

I don't live in Europe. But I can assure you after seeing my parents struggle to make ends meet while paying off a mortgage in the 1980s, it's not much better, just income has risen.

It is very expensive.

 

[Frozzy]

Also all you've proven is that you have a lot of Hispanics immigrating into the US. You haven't, on the other hand, disproven the fact that junk food leads to lacking height.

You also haen't explained an alternative reason to why Americans are getting shorter. I know of someone who is the tallest in his family, yet he is only 5' 9". How tall are you?

 

[Gonz]

"Just income has risen"....what else is supposed to go up? It's called inflation when expenditures rise faster than income. Also define struggling/value of home. If they spent 30k in 1983 & had problems it's struggling. If they spent 175k in 1983 they over spent.

 

[Frozzy]

Now, now.......I didn't say that at all.......if I wanted to insult americans (instead of making a crap "width" joke) ..... I'm very capable thank you

I know you didn't mean that, and it was a joke, but it justified a common anti-american stereotype among other people.

Sorry if you took it the wrong way.