Britons are four inches taller than in 1914

BRITAIN’S global reach has arguably declined over the past century, but research suggests that, physically at least, we stand taller on the world stage than ever.

The average height of British men and women increased by 11cm (4.3in) between 1914 and 2014, putting us ahead of America, where the rate of growth fell amid decades of unhealthy eating.

While the US boasted the third tallest group of men in the world and the fourth tallest of women in 1914, it has slipped in the rankings to 37th and 42nd respectively, with increases in average height of less than 6cm (2.4in).

The average growth of Britons, how- ever, was nearly double that, meaning British men are now the 31st tallest in the world (up from 36th) and the women 38th (up from 57th).

However, the study by Imperial College London, published in eLife, suggests the British rate of increase has plateaued over the last 20 years, in common with many Western nations.

The data show that Dutch men are now the tallest in the world, with a mean height of 182.5cm (5ft 11in), while the tallest women are in Latvia, with an average height of 169.8cm (5ft 7in).

Iranian men showed the biggest increase in height over the 100 years up to 2014, growing by an average 16.5cm (6.5in) and the largest female growth spurt was among South Korean women, who put on an extra 20.2cm (8in). Overall, the top 10 tallest nations in 2014 were dominated by European countries, and featured no Englishspeaking nation.

A person’s height is believed to be strongly influenced by nutrition, meaning children and adolescents who are better nourished and live in more healthy environments tend to be taller.

Previous research has indicated that a mother’s health and nutrition can also influence the eventual height of her offspring.

Prof Majid Ezzati, from Imperial’s Faculty of Medicine and School of Public Health, said America’s relatively modest increase in average height, which began stalling in the Sixties, could be down to the deteriorating quality of the diet.

“There was a time when America was the land of plenty,” he said.

“When Europe didn’t have enough food, America did, but increasingly nutrition has become worse there. It’s not just about having enough calories, it’s about having high-quality calories. Growth has stopped in much of the West,” he added.

The study revealed that the populations of some countries, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa and the Middle East, had seen a decline in average height over the past 40 years.