American's No Longer World's Tallest

American Indians have many genetic lines but all are shorter than Europeans. Blacks are also not taller as they are a variety of genetic lines as diverse as Greeks compared to the Dutch. Some black ethnic groups, especially those from East Africa are taller than average but most aren't. Olympic distance runners tend to be long-legged East Africans from Kenya, Tanzania, etc.

 

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There have been some studies about the nutrition problems in Mexico. In one I remember they went to some poor town and gave some kids vitamins and adequate food and by the time they reached full height they towered over those that did not get anything.

 

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Ya right

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Glad you get it.

 

Who is they?

 

Couldn't tell you. It was a documentary I watched in class a long time ago.

If it is too much for you to grasp that lack of nutrition hurts growth, I suppose I can get you a link relevant to Mexico.

http://www.virtualcancercentre.com/news.asp?artid=1846

 

In 2007 Mexicans are well fed. Many have native american genes...Mayan. Many barely reach 5 ft regardless of how many vitamins you pump into them.

The taller is not necessarily the better. Far from it. A healthy Beagle isn't the size of a Great Dane and visa versa. Comparing heights of ethnic groups of humans is not an indication of health anymore than comparing eye colour is. Sometimes I wonder if all the 'tall' girls in western society isn't due to too many growth hormone residues in dairy products, meat, etc.

Being 5'2" might be ideal in one ethnic group and being 5'6" unnatural growth.

 

Do Mexicans finish growing in 7 months or less?

 

As far as the US plateau and recent slide in height, if you check out Komlos's, Lauderdale's, and related investigations, the following are pretty much ruled out:

Genetic groups: aside from African pigmies, and a couple other outliers, all large genetic groups (Japanese, Mexicans, Dutch, American Indians, etc) are about the same average height given the same circumstances - within a half inch or so.

Immigration: The US is not that unusual in having immigrants, and the effect only lasts for the first generation or so. The plateau and regression are visible even in data restricted to comparable ethnicities - Swedes in America compared with Swedes in Sweden, for example.

Race: see genetic group.

City vs rural living.

Approximately 2/3 of human height is genetic, according to most estimates - but that part varies within, not between, races and ethnicities and other large genetic groups. It's the remaining 1/3 that varies between countries, etc.

 

I think you made your point,

So, does mexican food make people shorter.

 

Pakistani, Persian, and Afghani people are also generally tall.

 

I don't know, but I doubt it... I think mexican food has all the requirements to properly nourish growing kids.

I think it is just poverty that has prevented many from eating properly. In the documentary I mentioned earlier it showed a lot of families actually buying junk food rather than going for traditional mexican food, because of cost (this was in the 70s or 80s).

 

I thought that evolution provided an advantage to certain sizes and shapes to animals, there is no advantage for a 5ft human or 7ft human ,apart for some very specific activities, it is better for humans to be average, because humans design for the average person.

 

Basketball players make a lot of money.

 

that's what i was thinking. but malnutrition also probably contributes.

 

Mayan immigrants to Los Angeles are, within two generations, the same average height as everyone else in their demographic class in Los Angeles - white, black, or yellow.

John Komlos (Google, various) used them as a specific example.

According to Komlos and the two or three other researchers who have actually investigated the subject: Barring a couple of specific outliers - such as Pigmies in Africa - all human races and ethnic groups will measure within about a half inch of each other in average height, if raised in indistringuishable circumstances.

Nutrition plays a large role. So does disease.