Tall story as British reach new heights

BRITONS are getting taller, growing an average 4.3 inches in the last century.

Men now measure 5ft 9.6in and women 5ft 5in.

In world rankings British men have risen from 31st to 36th place and women from the 57th to 38th spot.

But we are beaten by some of our continental neighbours.

The tallest men in the world are in the Netherlands, averaging 5ft 11.8 inches, followed by men in Belgium and Estonia. Latvia has the tallest women at 5ft 7in, followed by the Netherlands and Estonia.

The smallest men are in East Timor where they average 5ft 3in while Guatemala has the shortest women at 4ft 10.6in.

Imperial College London tracked young adult men and women between 1914 and 2014 using, in some cases, military records.

The study, in eLife journal, said South Korean women and Iranian men had shown the biggest increases in height over the past 100 years – 7.9in and 6.5in respectively.

But in countries like Bangladesh and India it has stayed the same. In subSaharan countries it has reduced by up to 2in in 40 years.

Height is influenced by nutrition and environmental factors as well as an individual’s genetic make-up.

Study leader Professor Majid Ezzati at the School of Public Health in London said: “Taller people generally live longer, are less likely to suffer from heart disease and stroke.

“Taller people may also earn more and be more successful at school. However, they are also more likely to develop some cancers.”