The Netherlands is officially the tallest country on planet Earth. For the most part, scientists believed this was due to wealth, a rich diet and quality health care. But a new study suggests that the overall height of Dutch people may actually be human evolution in action.
Scientists have identified 180 genes that influence your height. Individually, all account for a very small effect, but combined, may explain up to 80% of the variation in height of a population. Environmental factors may also play a role. For example, children of Japanese immigrants to Hawaii are much taller than their parents. Scientists attribute this to a diet that is rich in milk and meat.
The Dutch have grown so quickly in a short period of time that most of the growth is attributed to their changing environment. They are one of the world’s largest producers and consumers of cheese and milk. Scientists also wonder if natural selection may have played a role: height is associated with better health, attractiveness, better education and higher income - potentially leading to more reproductive success.
Gert Stulp, behavioral biologist at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine led the study. Including people over the age of 45 born in the Netherlands to Dutch-born parents, the sampling of 42,616 people showed that taller men, on average, had more children. Since tall men are more likely to pass on genes that made them tall, the study suggests that the Dutch population is evolving to become taller.
Similar studies in the U.S. do not show a similar pattern. Stulp’s research of people born in Wisconsin in the late 1930’s show average height men had more children and that shorter women had children of average height. These factors suggest that natural selection in the U.S. is opposite of environmental factors like diet, although this likely explains why the average height of American’s have leveled off.
The surge in height of the Dutch population is likely only temporary, similar to Americans growth in height during the 18th century. Natural selection tends to favor one trend for a few generations, and then stabilize or decrease in subsequent generations.
To kick start our possible reasons why the Dutchies are so tall
tall
This is a list of the tallest people, verified by Guinness World Records or other reliable sources. According to the Guinness World Records, the tallest human in recorded history was Robert Wadlow of the United States (1918–1940), who was 272 cm (8 ft 11 in).
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › List_of_tallest_people
, we have natural selection. The idea behind it is simple: with time, there were more and more Dutch with tall genes. Scientists believe that natural selection, alongside good environmental conditions, perhaps helps.
A land of giants, the Netherlands is the loftiest nation on Earth: the average height of a Dutch man is 182.5cm; a Dutch woman 168.7cm. By comparison their American counterparts measure 177.1cm and 163.5cm respectively.
Although the Dutch are still the tallest people in the world, they are shrinking. A report from Dutch statistics office the CBS shows that the generation born in around 1980 was the tallest, with an average man measuring 183.9cm compared with the average 175.6cm of the generation born in 1930.
The Dutch take their dairy seriously. From Gouda to Edam, from Maasdam to Limburger, they've got a taste for cheesy, calcium-rich treats that put Popeye's spinach to shame. The Dutch diet, loaded with dairy, meat, and veggies, has played a major role in their impressive growth.
The Netherlands leads with an average height of 170.36 cm (5 feet 7.07 inches), followed closely by Montenegro at 169.96 cm (5 feet 6.91 inches). Globally, women stand at an average height of 160.95 cm, ranging from a minimum of 150.91 cm to a maximum of 170.36 cm.
The Nilotic peoples of Sudan such as the Shilluk and Dinka have been described as some of the tallest in the world. Dinka Ruweng males investigated by Roberts in 1953−1954 were on average 181 cm (5 ft 11 in) tall, and Shilluk males averaged 182 cm (6 ft 0 in).
Dutch people are the world's tallest, with an average height of 175.62 cm (5 feet 7.96 inches). Dutch men are an average 182.53 cm (5 feet 11.86 inches) tall while Dutch women are an average 168.72 cm (5 feet 6.42 inches) tall.
ABSTRACT. The Dutch have a remarkable history when it comes to height. From being one of the shortest European populations in the 19th Century, the Dutch grew some 20 cm and are currently the tallest population in the world. Wealth, hygiene, and diet are well-established contributors to this major increase in height.
Dutch food culture is heavily based on meat, bread and potatoes. It is not unusual for the Dutch to eat bread in the morning and afternoon, and end the day with potatoes, vegetables and meat.
Due to the availability of water and flat grassland, the Dutch diet contains many dairy products such as cheese and butter, and is relatively high in carbohydrates and fat.
Leafy greens are superstars when it comes to nutrition. Examples include spinach, kale, arugula, and cabbage.They are also high in vitamin K, a substance that helps assist increased bone density and height maintenance.
Cheese is deeply ingrained culturally speaking; They are able to digest it; Cheese is good, at least subjectively for all of these peoples; Historically, cheese is a good way to keep dairy products, and that is why it is popular (see 1).
Latvia is home to the tallest women in the world, figures show. Females born in 1996 in the Baltic state are, on average, 169.80cm — or around 5ft 7in. UK women, for comparison, measure 164.4cm, roughly 5ft 5in.
Though this measurement can change depending on your age and what country you're from. For example in Baltic countries, this is only a few inches above the average, whereas, in countries like Mexico, where people are shorter, this is quite a tall height for a woman.
Summary. The average height for American men is 5 feet, 9 inches. That's slightly above the global average height for males, which is 5 feet 7.5 inches.
How Tall is a Dutch Man on Average? Dutch men have, for many years, held the record as the world's tallest, with the average Dutch male height currently being approximately 183 cm (6 feet). This record has been held consistently for several decades, with Dutch men towering above men from other countries.
I am 6ft2, and i don't feel especially tall in the Netherlands, i feel maybe a bit taller than average (just like that stats say). 6′2 is very common in the Netherlands. It's considered taller than average, but not uncommon. 6ft6 (2.00m) and taller and 5ft7(1.75m) and smaller are considered big and small (for males).
Results: The analysis sample included 5,811 boys and 6,194 girls. Height by age was the same as in 1997. Mean final height was 183.8 cm (SD = 7.1 cm) in boys and 170.7 cm (SD = 6.3 cm) in girls.
Meanwhile, the Netherlands gets the top position as the country with the highest average height. Caucasian people in Europe, America, Australia and New Zealand are known to have a height above the average for other human races on earth. However, not all countries have the same average height.
Introduction: My name is Dean Jakubowski Ret, I am a enthusiastic, friendly, homely, handsome, zealous, brainy, elegant person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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