People Are Getting Taller and It’s Killing Us
Stature is a global epidemic. What are we willing to do about it?
A recent study is bringing renewed attention to a silent-but-deadly health issue plaguing modern society — being tall.
For the past 150 years, humans have been getting taller — an accumulative four inches (10cm) taller, especially among certain groups of Europeans like the Dutch. My partner and I both have predominantly Dutch heritage. I’m only 5'8" (173cm), so on the taller end of average, but my partner is well over six feet and taller that most people I know. Can you blame me for worrying?
If you aren’t aware of the numerous health risks associated with tallness, perhaps you think my concern is misplaced. After all, you might say that it’s not his fault that he’s tall — it’s his genes afterall. But when a condition is associated with so many health problems, you do everything you can for the ones you love, right?
In addition to the risk for pregnancy complications found in the study I mentioned above, tallness is associated with a significant increase in risk for several types of cancers. This is probably related to growth hormone levels, and so particularly increases the risk of hormone-influenced diseases like breast, ovarian, and prostate cancer.
