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Is it Evolution?

(27 Posts)
durhamjen Tue 04-Feb-14 14:28:59

That's interesting, Joelsnan. It reminded me that I have my father's army records from the second world war. When he joined up at 19, a year before the war started, he was 6ft. 1in. tall. When he left he was 6ft. 2.5in. He had a maximum chest size of 32" and weighed 144lbs. on enlistment. He was obviously undernourished, considering he worked at Covent Garden and did a lot of lifting and carrying. I'd like to know how he grew 1.5" in 8 years.

Joelsnan Tue 04-Feb-14 14:13:18

Research has found that between the mid eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the average European man's height increased by 11cms (over 4ins in old money). This phenomenon is praised as evolutionary being a result of better nutrition. I wonder why, when the increase is round the girth rather than the height, this is regarded as terrible. Could we be naturally evolving into tall fat people?