On 2016 Feb 22, thomas samaras commented:

Some publications that provide a different viewpoint. Additional arguments favoring smaller height or body size are presented in the previous discussion.

He, et al.2014. Shorter men live longer: association of height with longevity and FOXO3 genotype in American men of Japanese ancestry. PloS ONE 9(5): e94385. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0094385

Samaras 2014. Evidence from eight different types of studies showing that smaller body size is related to greater longevity JSRR, 3(16) 2050-2160, article no.JSRR.2014.16.003

Salaris et al. 2012. Height and survival at older ages among men born in an inland village in Sardinia (Italy), 1866-2006. Biodemograph and Social Biology,58:1, 1-13. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19485565.2012.666118.

Mueller & Mazur 2009. Tallness comes with higher mortality in two cohorts of US Army officers. Paper presented at the XXVI IUSSP International Population Conference 2009.

On 2016 Feb 22, thomas samaras commented:

A report by the World Cancer Research Fund indicated that since the industrial revolution chronic diseases have increased along with our height, weight. The authors of the report also associated the Western diet with the increase in chronic diseases. Silventoinen also observed that the Western diet promotes both increased height and coronary heart disease. Trowell, Nazmi and Monteiro reported that pre-Western populations were free of common Western chronic diseases until they transition to the Western diet. Popkin also observed that the food system developed over that 100 years has been devastating to our health.

My point is that increasing height and weight is connected to poorer health. Yes, our life expectancy has increased due to improved sanitation, health care, reduced injuries due 60-70 hours of hard physical work, child and adult labor laws, and immunization programs. However, the increase in longevity at older ages has been insignificant. For example, a 75-year old in 1900 had a remaining life expectancy of 8.5 years. In 2000, a 75-year old had a life expectancy of 10 years. A 1.5 year increase in life expectancy is small considering the huge advances in medical science and care as well as a much improved standard of living.

The association of height with health is a valid within the developed world. However, it is not the cause of our increased life expectancy or reduced mortality from CHD. Most studies showing taller people have lower CHD compared to shorter people are not based on inherent benefits of increased height per se. This is clearly shown by the following evidence. In fact, recent research indicates that lower socio-economic status is an independent risk factor for CHD. And we know that more shorter people populate the lower economic classes than the upper classes.

1. Pre-Western populations, with poor medical care, often are free of CHD and other chronic diseases (Trowell, Burkitt, Walker, Nazmi, Cordain, etc). In fact, many populations studied in the mid 20th Century were entirely free of CHD and stroke. These included Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Kalahari bushmen, and Congo pygmies. Others who had no or little CHD/CVD include Kitavans, Tarahumara Indians, Xingu Indians, Yanomamo Indians, rural black South Africans, and Vilcabambans. All these groups had males that averaged from below 5' to about 5'5".

2. In the early 1900s, Americans and Europeans had very low deaths from CHD but were a few inches shorter than we are today with much higher levels of CHD in spite of major advancements in heart care and treatment.

3. A US study of ethnic groups found that Asians had the lowest CHD mortality compared to other ethnic groups. The Whites and Blacks, had about twice the mortality rate of Asians. Latinos and Native Americans were in between these two groups in mortality. Asians are the shortest group and Latinos and Native Americans are shorter than Whites and Blacks. The source for mortality rates was Health US, 2001. It provided data from 1985 to 1999 and was based on millions of deaths.

4. Okinawans are shorter than mainland Japanese and have a 40% lower mortality from CHD. Japanese living in Hawaii are taller than mainland Japanese and have higher CHD mortality. Japanese in California are the tallest and have the highest CHD mortality compared to the shorter groups.

5. The Japanese average about 5'7" and in the recent past had the lowest death rate from CHD compared to European countries and the US. However, shorter Vietnamese women have lower risk of CHD compared to taller Japanese women.

6. Davenport and Love found that taller WWI military recruits had more heart problems than shorter ones.

7. In the 20th C, southern Europeans had about 40% lower deaths from heart disease compared to taller northern Europeans. Northern French were taller and also had higher CHD compared to southern French.

8. Bavdakar reported that young and middle aged Indians are suffering from an epidemic of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. This epidemic has paralleled changes in diet and increased height.

9. S.Korean males are now 5'8.5" compared to about 5'4" or 5'5" in the 1960s. Although they have avoided a large increase in obesity, they have seen a 2800% increase in CHD (Oken).

10. Davey Smith has shown that there is a relationship among, socio-economic status (SES), height, all-cause mortality and CHD. And men who spent their entire lives in higher SES were the tallest and had the lowest mortality compared to those who spent their entire lives in a lower SES. Men who had mixed backgrounds were in-between in height and mortality. Osika also found that taller people in low income groups had an almost 40% higher risk of heart attacks.

11. The idea that small size promotes more heart disease is not consistent with dog research. For, example, Bonnett found that Great Danes had 60 times the risk of heart failure as miniature Dachshunds. There was a general pattern of increasing heart failure with increasing breed size.

The factors that promote increased height and weight need re-evaluation. Yes, reduced starvation and improved medical care and living conditions have helped on the one hand. But excessive food and the wrong foods have hurt us as well. The obesity epidemic is certainly a reflection of serious health practices clouded by our false belief that rapid growth, tallness and increased robustness are desirable trends.

On 2016 Feb 22, thomas samaras commented:

A report by the World Cancer Research Fund indicated that since the industrial revolution chronic diseases have increased along with our height, weight. The authors of the report also associated the Western diet with the increase in chronic diseases. Silventoinen also observed that the Western diet promotes both increased height and coronary heart disease. Trowell, Nazmi and Monteiro reported that pre-Western populations were free of common Western chronic diseases until they transition to the Western diet. Popkin also observed that the food system developed over that 100 years has been devastating to our health.

My point is that increasing height and weight is connected to poorer health. Yes, our life expectancy has increased due to improved sanitation, health care, reduced injuries due 60-70 hours of hard physical work, child and adult labor laws, and immunization programs. However, the increase in longevity at older ages has been insignificant. For example, a 75-year old in 1900 had a remaining life expectancy of 8.5 years. In 2000, a 75-year old had a life expectancy of 10 years. A 1.5 year increase in life expectancy is small considering the huge advances in medical science and care as well as a much improved standard of living.

The association of height with health is a valid within the developed world. However, it is not the cause of our increased life expectancy or reduced mortality from CHD. Most studies showing taller people have lower CHD compared to shorter people are not based on inherent benefits of increased height per se. This is clearly shown by the following evidence. In fact, recent research indicates that lower socio-economic status is an independent risk factor for CHD. And we know that more shorter people populate the lower economic classes than the upper classes.

1. Pre-Western populations, with poor medical care, often are free of CHD and other chronic diseases (Trowell, Burkitt, Walker, Nazmi, Cordain, etc). In fact, many populations studied in the mid 20th Century were entirely free of CHD and stroke. These included Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Kalahari bushmen, and Congo pygmies. Others who had no or little CHD/CVD include Kitavans, Tarahumara Indians, Xingu Indians, Yanomamo Indians, rural black South Africans, and Vilcabambans. All these groups had males that averaged from below 5' to about 5'5".

2. In the early 1900s, Americans and Europeans had very low deaths from CHD but were a few inches shorter than we are today with much higher levels of CHD in spite of major advancements in heart care and treatment.

3. A US study of ethnic groups found that Asians had the lowest CHD mortality compared to other ethnic groups. The Whites and Blacks, had about twice the mortality rate of Asians. Latinos and Native Americans were in between these two groups in mortality. Asians are the shortest group and Latinos and Native Americans are shorter than Whites and Blacks. The source for mortality rates was Health US, 2001. It provided data from 1985 to 1999 and was based on millions of deaths.

4. Okinawans are shorter than mainland Japanese and have a 40% lower mortality from CHD. Japanese living in Hawaii are taller than mainland Japanese and have higher CHD mortality. Japanese in California are the tallest and have the highest CHD mortality compared to the shorter groups.

5. The Japanese average about 5'7" and in the recent past had the lowest death rate from CHD compared to European countries and the US. However, shorter Vietnamese women have lower risk of CHD compared to taller Japanese women.

6. Davenport and Love found that taller WWI military recruits had more heart problems than shorter ones.

7. In the 20th C, southern Europeans had about 40% lower deaths from heart disease compared to taller northern Europeans. Northern French were taller and also had higher CHD compared to southern French.

8. Bavdakar reported that young and middle aged Indians are suffering from an epidemic of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. This epidemic has paralleled changes in diet and increased height.

9. S.Korean males are now 5'8.5" compared to about 5'4" or 5'5" in the 1960s. Although they have avoided a large increase in obesity, they have seen a 2800% increase in CHD (Oken).

10. Davey Smith has shown that there is a relationship among, socio-economic status (SES), height, all-cause mortality and CHD. And men who spent their entire lives in higher SES were the tallest and had the lowest mortality compared to those who spent their entire lives in a lower SES. Men who had mixed backgrounds were in-between in height and mortality. Osika also found that taller people in low income groups had an almost 40% higher risk of heart attacks.

11. The idea that small size promotes more heart disease is not consistent with dog research. For, example, Bonnett found that Great Danes had 60 times the risk of heart failure as miniature Dachshunds. There was a general pattern of increasing heart failure with increasing breed size.

The factors that promote increased height and weight need re-evaluation. Yes, reduced starvation and improved medical care and living conditions have helped on the one hand. But excessive food and the wrong foods have hurt us as well. The obesity epidemic is certainly a reflection of serious health practices clouded by our false belief that rapid growth, tallness and increased robustness are desirable trends.

On 2016 Feb 22, thomas samaras commented:

Some publications that provide a different viewpoint. Additional arguments favoring smaller height or body size are presented in the previous discussion.

He, et al.2014. Shorter men live longer: association of height with longevity and FOXO3 genotype in American men of Japanese ancestry. PloS ONE 9(5): e94385. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0094385

Samaras 2014. Evidence from eight different types of studies showing that smaller body size is related to greater longevity JSRR, 3(16) 2050-2160, article no.JSRR.2014.16.003

Salaris et al. 2012. Height and survival at older ages among men born in an inland village in Sardinia (Italy), 1866-2006. Biodemograph and Social Biology,58:1, 1-13. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19485565.2012.666118.

Mueller & Mazur 2009. Tallness comes with higher mortality in two cohorts of US Army officers. Paper presented at the XXVI IUSSP International Population Conference 2009.