Because of poverty and the healthcare advantages of socialized medicine and a decent social safety net Europeans have gained six centimetres on Americans.
For years, researchers have been wondering why Americans stopped growing. US citizens were among the tallest in the world up until World War II. But since then, heights have stagnated while Europeans have been getting taller and taller, with the average American now between two and six centimeters shorter.Hat tip to Boing BoingThe correlation between wealth and height has long been understood, the most recent example coming as Eastern Europeans shot up following the collapse of communism. But why, in the richest country in the world, should growth rates be stagnating?
A new study published in the current issue of the Social Science Quarterly by researchers from Princeton University in the US and the University of Munich in Germany indicates that the difference may have to do more with politics than biology. Specifically, the study, which involved the statistical analysis of demographic and health data collected between 1959 and 2002, concludes that the spotty US health-care system and weak welfare net could explain why Americans have stopped growing.
"We surmise that the health systems and high degree of social security in Europe provide better conditions for growth than the American health system, despite the fact that the system costs twice as much," said study co-author John Komlos from the University of Munich in a statement. "There are also indications that American diets are deficient in several areas."
2 comments:
sounds to me like their "conclusions" have a political agenda behind them...of all factors socialized health care is probably the least probable.
Maybe socialized health care isn't to blame. More likely, it's the social welfare nets (or lack thereof) to blame. But by God, the Republicans are still keeping taxes on the wealthy low!
Not low enough for the average American to reach without a ladder, though...
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