Why are the dutch so tall?

Show all answers

Willeke

It is likely to be a combination of genes, good food, and the choice of food we eat, maybe the lot of milk we happily drink as children.
But not all Dutch are tall, I am 1.65 meter myself and am in no way the shortest person around.
Not by a long way, nor one of the few not tall people either.

But on the other hand, where before a 2 meter tall 18 year old guy would be rare, now there are many, and the average length is still creeping up.
There was not really a change in diet, but on average most families have more money to spend on food than 30 and way more than 60 years ago, so that might make a difference.

People in all western countries grow taller now than they used to, I have been in Japan and while non or nearly non of the elderly people were taller than I, most of the male and many of the female students were way taller than I, almost as tall as the European students of the same age.
So it might be a food more than a gene thing.

But if it is a food thing, it is the food in your childhood years, maybe even in the first years after you change from mothers milk, nothing you can change to when you are already old enough to use this site.

pffffffff

Probably a combination of good food, genes, the living standard and good medical health care. Most children are injected against all kinds of deceases. (I think they started that in the sixties) If you don't get sick your body can use the energy for other things, like growing.

Minna V

Don't know where u live, but most europeans are taller than average americans.

marije

I think it is the milk, good health, good living standard and genes.
Willeke mentions we happily drink it in our childhood.
I hate milk so did not drink it happily. we had some fights at home. that will be genes as well my mother and sister hate it to.
I am 1.70 m and I consider myself short. would like to add 5cm to my length.

it could have something to do with the second answer. survival of the fittest. ;-) lol

Bas L

I'm 2meters/3 centimeters myself (one of the lucky 1 in a thousand), all I did was sleep enough and eat a lot! Could be the medical system as well, although for me personally, I'd say that doesn't hold (I'm sick perhaps once every 2 years). Think it's probably the food and genetics...

Remington S

I'd like to know where all these 'huge' Dutch people are... I'm only 6'1 and most everybody I meet here is around my height or shorter...

The girls who work with my fiance were all so short, their boss had to lower the shelves so she could find them in the shop...

�� ...Hey Godverdomde Engel��

I think it's because most of them are quite healthy, drink lots of milk, eat lots of cheese (that's why we're called kaaskoppen/cheeseheads), aren't really that overweight, so the Dutch develop normally instead of developing at an early age and then end up tiny. But I don't really understand what you mean by ''huge'', the men here are quite tall compared to women but not many are above 2 metres.

itsnotmeitsu

cuz they sleep a lot and drink loads of milk-as in fresh milk.but hey,i think europeans in general are tall

Zmejka

It's official - the people of The Netherlands are the modern days tallest people in the world.
So the question is why are the Dutch so tall - and why are they still growing???
1 in every 1000 young Dutch men is over 2 metres or 6 foot 6 and-a-half inches tall.
The reason is good well-being and successful system of health service.

Could be also because the land was often under the sea so dutch people had to stand up to the necks in the water - and those who were taller could survive - and now this gene is being transferred from one generation to another:)

mrzwink

- Uniform healthcare, every dutch person gets health care, no matte their standing)
- Dairy Rich diets. dutch people eat a lot of dairy. this is not only a good sustanance for a growing body. cows, are also often fed growth hormone to grow more meat, this is secreted in the milk and digested by drinkers aswell.

Yitzhak K

All Germanic people are normally taller, but Germans are the tallest in the world

Average height for a German man-6'
German woman-5'10'' (might be 5'11" now)

Salir

we r hottt

Enter Your Message or Comment

User Name:
User Email:
Post a comment: