Studies have shown that Americans are getting shorter compared to other countries. How do you feel about this?

39 comments

1. Just a guess, but it is probably at least in part related to significant immigrant populations from regions where people are genetically shorter.

   The Dutch and Germans are no longer coming in droves.

   To answer your question, I am indifferent. My dunking days are over.

2. That’s what happens when the bulk of your current millions of recent immigrants are coming from Central America and Asia.

   And who cares? Is there a height competition or something?

3. Sorry, guys. This is my fault.

   I’m a short guy, but I had a personal life mission to emulate Genghis Khan when it comes to having kids. It seems I’ve brought the natural average in height down.

4. I’d tell you but I can’t reach the keyboard, my desk is too tall….

5. Of my concern about mass, uncontrolled Honduran immigration, this is pretty low on the list

6. I do not care about this at all, is how I feel.

7. How do I *feel* about it? I couldn’t care less 😂

8. Foreigners bringing down our average!

   I did not read the article

9. Idk, I’m exactly average when it comes to height so I’m doing my part

   There were immigration acts in the 19th and 20th century that barred most of Asia and eastern europe from emigrating up until 1965 or so I believe.

   Doesn’t seem so surprising to be a country full of tall people when you have primarily Western Europeans moving in and eating more food than they could afford back home. Food was cheaper here for immigrants so they ate better than their folks from the home country.

   With recent immigration trends bringing in populations long denied by 19th and 20th century exclusion acts some say we might be balancing out a bit. Idk if our high fructose corn syrup diet is also having an effect on how tall people could grow from being malnourished but well fed.

   To sum up look at the immigration acts of 1882 and 1924 I think. Also the one that repeals anti Asian sentiment in 1965 or so. Food was cheaper for Western European immigrants than back home so all these might’ve played a part in the tall American of yesteryear but things are different now. Tall countries today are homogenous and agriculture and farming has changed a lot in the past century

10. I’m getting shorter compared to myself, who needs to worry about other countries. Started senior year of high school at 5′ 3″, grew to 5′ 9″, then topped out at 6′ 1″ in college. Currently rocking 6′ and will most certainly lose some more if I stay alive long enough

11. Probably due to our overall health care being worse than most first world nations. Not a surprise really.

12. As someone who’s 6’6″ I excitedly look forward to the day I’ll be looming over all you!

13. We aren’t getting shorter, the rest of the world is getting taller. That has to do with better nutrition, and better access to health care.

    I read somewhere once that it has to do with the availability of protein in rice vs other staple grains. It is noticeable on northern china, where they eat rice, and southern china, where they eat more wheat

14. Well, heavier is our own fault. Shorter is probably due to immigration.

    Median height in Mexico is 169 cm (5′ 6″.) In fact, all of South America is generally shorter.

15. I haven’t gotten any shorter at all, so I guess I don’t really care.

16. Being tall increases health risks too btw. Taller people live shorter lives on average iirc.

17. This whole thing seems like a bit of a reach.

18. It’s most likely a nutrition thing more than anything. It doesn’t matter

19. Well, I’m 6’4″ and taller than my parents. My dad is 6’1″ and my mom is 5’10”.

20. Because they included immigrants in the study who might be shorter?

    I don’t know what the big deal is. I’m short, and I’ve had a good life. I’ve never had a desire to be taller.

21. Idk, I’m of Dutch extraction so I feel tall? 😂

22. I don’t feel any particular way about it. I assume it’s due to immigration of ethnic groups who tend to be shorter than average

23. Don’t care.

24. It’s the stupid media misinterpretation of data, and it’s meaningless.

    We are not a monoethnic country. People from all different ethnicity and heritage live here and immigrate here. Those immigration trends dictate the change in average height.

    No one in America is getting shorter, tall genes are not being eradicated from the gene pool, and children born this year will grow as tall as they did in previous generations. It’s a non-story.

25. Makes sense given where our current immigration is coming from. I don’t feel any particular way about it.

26. Given that my very tall cousins have had all sorts of health problems resulting from their height, I can’t help but view it as a good thing.

27. It’s purely anecdotal but I see tiny Latina mothers with their 10-15 year old daughters who are taller than them all the time. Better access to nutrition during childhood makes kids grow taller, and seeing that makes me want to have our average height plummet, so as many kids as possible can get enough to eat

28. Its mostly due to higher rates of child obesity.

    Obesity causes ouberty to occur earlier at a time when the bones are not yet optimized to take advantage of the growth spurt. The kids thus don’t reach their height potential.

29. My sister and I are both shorter than our parents. And both of my children (who are finished growing) are shorter than my husband and I.

    However, I think we are unusual. Everywhere I look – most children seem to surpass their parents.

    I don’t think being short is bad. Other than people valuing height as a feature, there are a lot more pros than cons to it.

30. *Looks around at 6’3″*

    More short people

31. It doesn’t really matter to me, but as a kid I always thought 6’ was the average height of an adult male. I’m 6’ now and I feel the average height is more around 5’9.

32. We’ll still crush you in basketball

33. Sorry I’m bringing down the average 😭

34. Why would I care

35. Immigrants are bringing down the national average.

    As for how I feel about it, I literally never think about it except for the weekly post asking about it on this subreddit.

36. Due to increased immigration from south and central American countries, there are a lot bigger things to worry about (pun absolutely intended) with regards to immigration than the average height, so I don’t really care.

37. As someone a little taller than average: not my fault.

38. Oh well.

39. I wipe my tears away with one of our 25 gold medals in Olympic basketball