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Many adjectives come to mind when thinking of how to describe Americans. But "short" probably isn't one of them.

We're used to the notion of the United States as the world's dominant power — a land of untold resources, wealth and consumption. And one reflection of this abundance is the fact that for most of the past 2½ centuries, Americans have been literally the tallest people on the planet. Feeding off the abundant wild game and rich agriculture of their vast new land, colonial Americans measured a full three inches taller than Europeans.

Our tight-fisted approach to meeting social needs takes its heaviest toll on the poor, but it has a huge impact on the middle class as well

Not so any more. Compared to Europeans, Americans have effectively shrunk. Indeed, among all advanced industrial nations, Americans are now at the bottom end of the height scale.

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Height is a rather potent symbol. But it also appears to be a useful measure of the well-being of a nation's citizens, particularly its young people, since height is determined early in life. Komlos and Lauderdale note that a wide range of factors determine height: "(T)he political economy of the health-care system, education, transfers to the poor, and government policy toward equality (hence taxation policy) all matter."

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shrinkage

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Originally posted by rural - Francesca:
how does one "grow" shorter?

shouldn't one 'shrink' not 'grow'????

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Originally posted by oldgoat:
...and in other news, I95 to be replaced by the Yellow Brick Road.

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Suddenly, I have visions of Tony Soprano driving to "Follow the Yellow Brick Road" instead of "Woke up this morning, got myself a gun..."

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Originally posted by lichenman:
I heard of a study that found that guys grow taller if they stay up late during their adolescent growth spurt.

Maybe American teenagers are going to bed too early.

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Compared to Europeans, Americans have effectively shrunk. Indeed, among all advanced industrial nations, Americans are now at the bottom end of the height scale. ...

Almost three inches taller than Americans, the Dutch are now the tallest people in the world. Dutch males average six foot one — seven inches taller on average than they were just over a century ago. Crowded around the towering Dutch at the top end of the height scale are other northern Europeans — Norwegians, Swedes, Danes, Belgians and Germans.

because Americans are still tall, compared to the broader world, but some northern Europeans have grown even taller in recent generations;

"shorter"" a stupid turn of phrase,
and the title of the thread is of course flatly wrong: mods!

[ 10 January 2008: Message edited by: Geneva ]

Maybe they aren't getting enough vitamins, minerals, and sunlight or something.

[ 10 January 2008: Message edited by: Fidel ]

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Dutch males average six foot one — seven inches taller on average than they were just over a century ago

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