The Netherlands is famous for its tall residents, but why exactly do people here reach such impressive heights? Scientists from Wageningen and Radboud universities have conducted a study that sheds light on this phenomenon.

Growth as an indicator of health

The study showed that a person’s growth is closely linked to their health and living conditions. In the last 200 years, the average height of the Dutch has increased by 18 cm, indicating a significant improvement in quality of life, nutrition and medical care.

Lack of nutrition and stress

Body growth depends on the quantity and quality of food consumed by a person during development. Diseases, stress, and heavy physical work can negatively affect growth. A 19th-century Dutch study found that long-term illnesses were associated with shorter adult height.

The effects of losing a parent

The loss of parents, especially the mother, also had a negative impact on children’s growth. This is explained not only by the young children’s dependence on breast milk, but also by the profound stress associated with the loss of the main caregiver.

Height and risk of death

Interestingly, people who are above average height today have a lower risk of death, but extremely tall people (over 190 cm) have a slightly higher risk due to an increased risk of cancer. In the past, in contrast, taller people were more likely to die at a younger age due to their higher caloric needs and increased risk of infectious diseases.

Decreased growth in modern children

In the Netherlands, today’s children are shorter than their parents. Scientists still cannot determine the exact reason for this phenomenon, but they suggest that it may be related to a change in the quality of the diet or the impact of childhood obesity.

Examining the dynamics of population growth can help assess the health of the nation as a whole and identify potential problems in nutrition and health care. Source