On 2015 Jun 30, thomas samaras commented:

This an excellent report on the relation between nutrition, genes and socioeconomic factors on height. Unfortunately,a worldwide taller height has harmful ramifications and the assumption that reaching our genetic potential is beneficial has not been explored by most researchers. For example, we have the genetic potential to weigh 300 lb (136 kg) but we know this would create a lot of health and environmental problems. Therefore, we shouldn't assume that reaching our genetic potential for height is desirable.

The 2007 WCRF report stated that as a result of industrialization and urbanization, chronic diseases have increased along with growth in height and weight. The lack of Western chronic disease before industrialization also applied to the elderly. WHO also attributed our chronic diseases to the Western diet. Many studies have found pre-Western people following traditional diets have very few Western diseases even at older ages. Many of these populations were found to be short and free of coronary heart disease and stroke.

While demographers and epidemiologists have associated increased height with better health and longevity, many biologists, gerontologists and other researchers have found smaller body size is best for a healthy and long life. Many biological mechanisms support their conclusions.

Research on the ramifications of increasing human height covers over 40 years. The evidence is solid that slower growth, later sexual maturation and shorter height promote health and longevity. As Levine recently reported, animal protein is not best for good health. See below.

Note that Levine’s study finds higher protein is tied to a 4 times increase in type 2 diabetes for all ages over 50 years. Also animal protein after 65 years of age is good for us only if it doesn’t increase IGF-1 levels. The paradox is that animal protein increases IGF-1 per their own study, but other researchers have found plant protein reduces it somewhat.

A few papers for further reading are listed next.

Further reading

1 Levine, Longo, Fontana, et al. Low protein intake is associated with a major reduction in IGF-1, cancer, and overall mortality in the 65 and younger but not older population. March, 2014, Cell Metabolism,19, 407-417.

2 Samaras TT. Evidence from eight different types of studies showing that smaller body size is related to greater longevity. Journal of Scientific Research & Reports. 2014: 3 (16): 2150-2160, 2014; article no. JSRR.2014.16.003.

3 Samaras TT (ed): Human Body Size and the Laws of Scaling: Physiological, Performance, Growth, Longevity and Ecological Ramifications. New York: Nova Science Pub; 2007.

4 He Q, Morris BJ, Grove JS, Petrovitch H, Ross W, Masaki KH, et al. 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.

5 Salaris L, Poulain M, Samaras TT. Height and survival at older ages among men born in an inland village in Sardinia (Italy), 1866-2006. Biodemography and Social Biology, 58:1, 1-13.

6 Bartke A. Healthy Aging: Is Smaller better? A mini-review. Gerontology 2012; 58:337-43.

7 Thomas Samaras, Commentary: Human growth, height, size: Reasons of be small. WPHNA World Public Health Nutrition Association, vol. 2, No. 3, March 2011.

 8 Samaras,Thomas T. Why Smaller Humans Are in Our Future, Policy Innovations, 10/20/2014

On 2015 Jun 30, thomas samaras commented:

This an excellent report on the relation between nutrition, genes and socioeconomic factors on height. Unfortunately,a worldwide taller height has harmful ramifications and the assumption that reaching our genetic potential is beneficial has not been explored by most researchers. For example, we have the genetic potential to weigh 300 lb (136 kg) but we know this would create a lot of health and environmental problems. Therefore, we shouldn't assume that reaching our genetic potential for height is desirable.

The 2007 WCRF report stated that as a result of industrialization and urbanization, chronic diseases have increased along with growth in height and weight. The lack of Western chronic disease before industrialization also applied to the elderly. WHO also attributed our chronic diseases to the Western diet. Many studies have found pre-Western people following traditional diets have very few Western diseases even at older ages. Many of these populations were found to be short and free of coronary heart disease and stroke.

While demographers and epidemiologists have associated increased height with better health and longevity, many biologists, gerontologists and other researchers have found smaller body size is best for a healthy and long life. Many biological mechanisms support their conclusions.

Research on the ramifications of increasing human height covers over 40 years. The evidence is solid that slower growth, later sexual maturation and shorter height promote health and longevity. As Levine recently reported, animal protein is not best for good health. See below.

Note that Levine’s study finds higher protein is tied to a 4 times increase in type 2 diabetes for all ages over 50 years. Also animal protein after 65 years of age is good for us only if it doesn’t increase IGF-1 levels. The paradox is that animal protein increases IGF-1 per their own study, but other researchers have found plant protein reduces it somewhat.

A few papers for further reading are listed next.

Further reading

1 Levine, Longo, Fontana, et al. Low protein intake is associated with a major reduction in IGF-1, cancer, and overall mortality in the 65 and younger but not older population. March, 2014, Cell Metabolism,19, 407-417.

2 Samaras TT. Evidence from eight different types of studies showing that smaller body size is related to greater longevity. Journal of Scientific Research & Reports. 2014: 3 (16): 2150-2160, 2014; article no. JSRR.2014.16.003.

3 Samaras TT (ed): Human Body Size and the Laws of Scaling: Physiological, Performance, Growth, Longevity and Ecological Ramifications. New York: Nova Science Pub; 2007.

4 He Q, Morris BJ, Grove JS, Petrovitch H, Ross W, Masaki KH, et al. 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.

5 Salaris L, Poulain M, Samaras TT. Height and survival at older ages among men born in an inland village in Sardinia (Italy), 1866-2006. Biodemography and Social Biology, 58:1, 1-13.

6 Bartke A. Healthy Aging: Is Smaller better? A mini-review. Gerontology 2012; 58:337-43.

7 Thomas Samaras, Commentary: Human growth, height, size: Reasons of be small. WPHNA World Public Health Nutrition Association, vol. 2, No. 3, March 2011.

 8 Samaras,Thomas T. Why Smaller Humans Are in Our Future, Policy Innovations, 10/20/2014