Eli5 why are people taller now days even even if we have less testrone
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This question may need clarification, as who is “we” and how tall is “taller” based from.
This article from 1998 covers the topic sufficiently well:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-are-we-getting-taller/
Essentially it comes down to genetic potential, selection preference, and nutrition. If people with the potential to grow to 6′ are malnourished during growth than their resulting height could be stunted. Likewise someone whos potential caps at 5’6″ even if fully nourished wouldnt gain extra height. Dwarfism is an example of that, as they have limited potential for growth moreso than others. And for selection preference, some are attracted to shorter people while some are attracted to taller people. Currently in USA mainstream depiction of attractive people are on the taller side.
A lot of it in the height increase outside North America and Western Europe comes from better nutrition. Borderline malnourishment in childhood and adolescence effects adult height (among many other things.) Go to a country that developed very quickly, and you will notice a marked height difference in generations. South Koreans in their 20’s and 30’s, who grew up when the county was a leading modern industrial economy, tower over their older counterparts who grew up in the 1950’s, when Korea was a recently-war-torn agrarian backwater.
There are a number of reasons why people are taller now days. One reason is that we have better nutrition. We have access to more and better quality food, which means that our bodies can develop and grow more effectively. Another reason is that we have less exposure to disease. In the past, many children died young from diseases like measles or polio. Nowadays, we have vaccines that protect us from these diseases, so we tend to live longer and grow taller. Finally, people are taller now days because of advances in medical care. For example, if someone has a genetic condition that affects their height, they can now receive treatment that can help them reach their full potential height.
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