The Average Height Of People...

[sandyRoe]

My father, born before WW1, was about 5'7" in height. My mother was smaller. I'm about 5'10". I notice lots of young chaps, and some teenage girls, who are about 6' in height. Was stunted growth in the past all down to poor diet?

[Zacs-Master]

Diet and general environmental improvements I would say. I agree that there seems to be an awful lot of tall yoofs about these days.

[ummmm]

My dads sisters are tiny. All under 5ft.

[humbersloop]

among other things it seems sandy

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-23896855

I vaguely remember something about the height requirement to join the British army being dropped during the Boer war because too many weren't tall enough

[sandyRoe]

There's a uniform from WW1 in the local museum which looks as though it was made for a child.

[boxtops]

No, nothing nutritional - people are taller these days. Don't forget that in Shakespeare's day. most people were less than 5ft tall. If you go to his home at Stratford, you have to duck to go through every portal!

[Zacs-Master]

Not nutritional? Then what do you put it down to?

[Robinia]

Most explanations say that the main reason is down to nutrition and height has gone up and down over time. My grandparents on my father's side were small but had 6 tall children in the 1920/30s.

[237SJ]

It must be nutritional. You`ve only got to look at the people in the Far East to see that. They`ve "shot up" in one generation since they have been eating a more Western diet.

[Mosaic]

I have a hunch that children of well-nourished pregnancies have a physical advantage that they confer to their own offspring, provided they too are born in well-fed and disease-free circumstances. So not just one generation on, but 1.5 to 2 generations of development means humans can start to fulfil their natural growth potential.

[FrillyPancake]

Interesting! Ive always wondered this. I am female (35yrs), 5' 8" ...

[humbersloop]

^^ link, [i]sigh[]

[humbersloop]

sigh

[shoota]

Sighs does matter.....

[B00]

Errr, where did I go wrong then? I'm 5'1???

[boxtops]

It also depends, surely, on genes and where you come from. The men in OH's family are all average 5'8-ish, but none of the women are more than 5ft tall.

[Mamyalynne]

This thread has made me smile, many years ago we visited some very old Barracks - commenting on how small the men must have been, my 5 year old said 'They only had small soldiers so they could fit in those little beds'.

[humbersloop]

no doubt my four foot ten granny had that firmly in mind when she wed my six foot four grandad ;)

[vulcan42]

Heredity must play some part in this.

[ummmm]

Boxy.....same as my dads side.

My mums side are quite tall though and I've seemed to have arrived at the happy middle ground.

[boxtops]

I was always told that boys grow to be taller than their mothers (thank goodness)