Not saying anybody is big-headed, but.....

My dad was born in the 18th century and was in the First World War. He wasn't exceptionally tall, about 5' 8", was slim
but certainly not undernourished and had all his own teeth until he died at 86.

They were country people, probably grew a lot of their own food, and he went to a village school, was certainly not illiterate and continued his education in the RN. I think there was more poverty and malnutrition in cities.

Bigger backsides for sure! And they didn’t used to display them in flesh tone leggings! Euch!!!

Tigertooth Mr glamma always say's he is surprised how far lycra can stretch

callistemon I have tried but can’t find a reference to sun screen and rickets

I remember reading that for many men in WW1 the army diet was the best food they’d ever had, due to the poverty that abounded in society.

It’s still apparent today in some areas. When I go to certain parts of Scotland the people in general look very different, so small and wizened. You wonder what deprivations they still endure.

On the opposite tack, on my recent visit to Australia I was astonished by the number of well built men that abounded. I guess all that good food and an outdoor lifestyle must pay dividends. Everyone looks so healthy.

Poor nutrition probably was the cause of earlier generations being smaller.

The old among the Spaniards were children during the Spanish Civil War where food was in appallingly short supply in all the bigger cities, but height varies greatly in Spain according to where in the country people are from.

The lower doors and windows in old house were mainly caused by the fact that wood and window panes were expensive and that a joiner was paid more than a stone mason or brick-layer. And until the start of the 20th century fresh air was something you kept out of houses if possible to keep the heat in.

I imagine beds are bigger because we generally speaking live in centrally heated houses, so we are not so cold at night. The smaller the bed the closer you lay to the other occupant of it, which if nothing else kept you warm in the days of unheated bedrooms.

Callistemon ?what a long life your Father had, was he in the Napoleonic Wars by any chance?

I wish plane companies would realise we’re bigger and stop fitting out “cattle class” with seats made to fit 18th century bottoms.

Stately home beds are often bigger than they seem because the rooms are much larger and the beds higher which makes them look smaller. They’re usually about the same size or maybe an inch or two shorter. Also, the pillows were much larger as people often slept semi recumbent.

HETTY58 I was going to say exactly the same, each generation seems to be getting taller.

looking at Johnson- a big head is certainly not a sign of intelligence, for sure.

Vitamin D can be obtained from sunlight hence the lack caused by sunscreen. Lack of Vitamin D can cause rickets.
All my grandchildren are over six feet. My husband was six foot but the rest of the family are short.

bijou perhaps you can help me only callistemon doesn’t seem sure even though she asserted that sun screen is causing rickets.

Can you refer me to the research on this. Thank you in advance.

I was one of the tallest in my class, and remember being delighted when my shoes for secondary school were a size one! My granddaughters’ feet were substantially bigger at the same age.

At 14 I played Amy in a school production of Little Women. The GM of another pupil loaned me an original crinoline gown (her GM's) from the exact period. It was absolutely beautiful - but small. I was a skinny 5' 2" but the dress pulled across the shoulders and the sleeves were very narrow, and the length was too short. Alteration was a no-no. I managed to wear it but I had to be very careful how I moved and while on stage I had to walk with my knees bent so that it didn't look too short! I felt very privileged to wear tbe dress and loved doing the play.

My own GM (born in 1880) often remarked that I was too big, not petite and ladylike as she thought I should be, and probably as young girls were in her youth.

I think that unless there is evidence produced to the contrary, we can safely say that sun screen use is NOT a contributory factor in rickets.

To say it is without knowing the truth of the matter is in my opinion irresponsible.

Skin cancer kills.

I should have known better but I do remember how taken aback I was at the size of Nelsons berth on HMS victory - tiny !

There was a big drive in my area to encourage woman in Purdah to get some sunlight for vitamin D.
I saw a dress at the Bronte museum. And it was so tiny.
When I left junior school I was the tallest and didn’t grow any taller. I am 5 ft 4. Brought up on bread and jam in the main so I must’ve had enough to grow on.

My grandparents were tiny - northern Lancashire weaving family. But it's only recently, definitely way past the war, that people got to be so much taller and bigger. Did anyone go to the David Bowie exhibition at the V&A? There were loads of his clothes there and they were TEENY. Mick Jagger is another skinny little thing (and of course the divine Keef but that's pretty much a given!). At my school in the 60s a girl was considered tall if she was 5'6". That would be about average now.

Packerbackwiter I remember Mick Jagger. He was a mate of my brother and he is tiny. When I saw him with his statuesque wife she must’ve stood on a step down. Some people are just small. My grandchildren are like pixies apart from one who is enormous like a bear. No rhyme or reason !

whitewave Skin cancer can indeed kill. The Bodach has had a melanoma removed but his dementia means he is refusing to go to follow up appointments, as a scan has shown spread.
He has deteriorated very quickly, and is now quite frail. Please get anything suspicious checked out.

( Sorry if I’ve kind of strayed from the topic)

I’ve been treated for skin cancer myself. Finished the treatment about a month ago

In Australia, parents are now advised to get their children outside for a short while before 10.00 am with no sunscreen to guard against rickets. A very short amount of time is enough. This is because they have to wear 50+ sunscreen for the rest of the time.

Apparently if you put mushrooms in direct sunlight outdoors, they make vitamin D.

I also heard that parents were being encouraged to give their children time in the sun in the UK, to guard against rickets but I could be wrong on that.

The NHS website has an article about the increase in rickets in the UK, although small. “Studies have shown that a significant number of people have low vitamin D”. This applies especially to those with darker skins

I have a pair of sunglasses that the troops wore in the Boer War and they are so narrow that it hard to fit them on a modern face.

My grandfather must have been the exception He served in the Boer War, WW1. He was 6' tall, muscular but never fat even in his old age. Died aged 86. His background was very poor, joining the army a way out of it.