Is smaller better for the human body?

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

Small is better the message, it seems to obtain from the PDF-available

below.

Moreover, they discuss calorie restriction also.

Lean body mass is said the be not good also.

Cheers, Al.

Samaras TT, Elrick H.

Height, body size, and longevity: is smaller better for the human body?

West J Med. 2002 May; 176(3) :206-8. No abstract available.

PMID: 12016250 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Martel and Biller reported that the socially ideal height for

western men is 188 cm (6 ft 2 in) and rising. 1 With

advances in genetic engineering, parents will be able to

control the heights of their children, and these heights are

likely to increase with each new generation. Indeed,

greater height and associated lean body mass are viewed

positively by the medical profession and society. This bias

is based on a few studies and our cultural values but ig-

nores extensive data that indicate that shorter stature is

healthier. We summarize our findings of more than 25

years of personal and literature research.

Summary points:

SpintoSummary points

•Advances in genetic engineering will promote a

continual increase in height of successive generations

•International and national studies have shown that

tallness has health and longevity risks

•Body size is controllable through dietary practices,

especially during childhood and adolescence

•Many studies indicate that a near-vegetarian diet with

high fiber, low salt, and few processed foods

promotes health and greater longevity

•Extensive data from animal studies indicate that

people with smaller bodies have delayed onset of

chronic diseases and greater longevity

HEIGHT AND HEALTH

In the past 20 years, the “bigger is better ”misconception

has been promoted by studies that found that taller

people —men over 183 cm (6 ft) and women over 165 cm

(5 ft 5 in) —have lower death rates from heart disease and

all causes than shorter people (men under 170 cm [5 ft 7

in ]and women under 150 cm [4 ft 11 in ]) . In 1999, we

reviewed the findings of several of these studies. 2 Virtually

all of these articles have ignored abundant data showing

that short height per se does not adversely affect health.

For example, the first National Health and Nutrition Ex-

amination Survey (NHANES I) found no relation be-

tween height and heart disease when age and years of

education were adjusted for 13, 031 men and women

tracked for 13 years. 3The investigators reported that pre-

vious studies on height and health suffered from weak-

nesses and inconsistencies that compromised their find-

ings. More recently, Okasha et al found no association

between height and all-cause mortality in a study of

10, 700 male and female students at Glasgow University,

Glasgow, Scotland, observed for 40 years. 4

The average height before the 20th century was about

10 cm (¡«4 in) shorter than today. Yet, coronary heart

disease (CHD) before 1900 was rare. 2Although only

about 50%of the population reached 50 years of age,

those surviving to 50 could expect to live another 15 to 20

years. Thus, CHD was uncommon even though there

were many elderly people in the early 1900s and earlier.

Since the 1960s, countries like India and Singapore have

seen large increases in the incidence of CHD (including in

young adults) with dietary changes and increased height.

Women average about 13 cm (~5 in) shorter than men

and have considerably lower rates of CHD. Although hor-

mones are assumed to explain this advantage, they may

play only a partial role. For example, based on 1, 700

deceased people in Ohio, found that men and

women of the same height had about the same life span. 5

FINDINGS SUGGESTING THAT SHORT STATURE

IS HEALTHIER

During the second half of the 20th century, the people

living the longest included the Japanese, Hong Kong Chi-

nese, and Greeks2—all being shorter and weighing less

than northern Europeans and North Americans. In addi-

tion, data from the California Department of Health in-

dicate that Asians and Hispanics live more than 4 years

longer than taller whites. 6Wild and associates found that

East Indians, Chinese, Japanese, and Hispanics in Cali-

fornia had lower all-cause and CHD death rates, as shown

in the Table. 7Heights obtained from other sources are

shown for each ethnic group and indicate that shorter

ethnic groups had lower death rates.

Compared with northern Europeans, shorter southern

Europeans had substantially lower death rates from CHD

and all causes. 2Greeks and Italians in Australia live about

4 years longer than the taller host population, and shorter

Turkish migrants in Germany have an age-adjusted CHD

death rate half that of taller indigenous Germans. Others

have pointed out that genetics is not the primary factor

here because after a few generations, Mexican and Japa-

nese migrants approach the CHD and cancer rates of the

host country.2 One of us (H E) led medical teams in

studies of eight populations selected for healthy and vig-

orous people and found that they were also small people. 8

A report on a 25-year study of Okinawans indicates

that they have the greatest longevity in the world, includ-

ing exceeding that of mainland Japanese.9 Okinawans are

vigorous and healthy into advanced ages and continue a

high level of physical activity into their 90s. They have the

lowest rates of cancer and heart disease in the world and

also exceed most countries in centenarians at a rate of 34

per 100, 000 versus 5 to 10 per 100,000 for industrialized

nations. Bone fractures were found to be substantially less

than in mainland Japan and the United States. The Oki-

nawans eat a low-calorie, high-fiber diet rich in vegetables,

grains, and soy. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated

fats (especially omega 3) are consumed in preference to

saturated fats. Refined carbohydrates and animal products,

except for fish, are consumed in small amounts. Tea and

small amounts of alcohol are drunk daily. However, salt

intake is 7 g, which is higher than the less than 1 g con-

sumed by populations with lifelong low blood pressure.

The researchers, Willcox et al,9 did not attribute this

superior health to genetics because when younger Oki-

nawans migrate to mainland Japan, Hawaii, or the United

States, they soon acquire the chronic diseases of the host

population. The Okinawans are shorter and weigh less

than mainland Japanese, and men aged 87 to 104 years

average 145. 4 cm (4 ft 9 in) and 42. 8 kg (94 lb). 2

Other researchers have found many traditional societ-

ies with good health and little CHD and cancer.

10-12 Forexample, found that rural blacks in South Africa

had virtually no CHD and little diet-related cancer.2, 10

The blacks averaged about 10 cm shorter than whites.

Lindeberg et al11 reported that Melanesians living in

Kitava were healthy and that heart disease and stroke were

virtually absent in a population ranging in age from 20 to

86 years. The men averaged 161 cm (5 ft 3 in) and 53 kg

(117 lb). A study of Island populations also

found them to be free of CHD and healthy, with male

heights ranging from 160 to 163 cm. 12

Longevity studies of deceased US veterans found an

inverse relation between height and longevity. 13Evaluation

of height and longevity of deceased professional base-

ball players and 19th century French men and women also

showed an inverse relation, as shown in figures 1 and 2. ^14

In a review of literature on height, body size, and longev-

ity, we found several studies that showed a negative cor-

relation between height and longevity. 2

Figure 1 Reduction of baseball players’average life span with

increasing height. (Reproduced with permission of Washington

Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC.)

>>>>>Shows that there was a linear line for the years 1975-1992 from 82

years at 162 cm = 64 inches to 65 years at 193 cm = 77 inches.<<<<

>>>A table>>>

Age-standardized death rates from all causes, coronary heart disease (CHD) ,

and stroke per 100, 000 population (males) for 6 ethnic groups in California

Ethnic groups* Height Age-standardized death rates/100, 000

cm (in) All cause

CHD Stroke

African American 178 (70) 1, 800 316 102

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White 178 (70) 1, 243 302

60

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Hispanic 172 (68) 856 175

49

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Asian Indian† 170 (67) 668 258 33

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Chinese 169 (66) 773 55

62

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Japanese 169 (66) 693 146 52

*In order of decreasing height.

†Based on height data for upper socioeconomic status in India.

Figure 2 Average life span in years versus height for 19th century

deceased French men. (Reproduced with permission of Washington

Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC. )

>>>Shows linear line from 40 to 58 years for increasing height from 180 cm =

71 inches to 153 cm = 51.8 inches.<<<<<

Many studies have found a positive correlation be-

tween cancer, rapid growth, and height. 2For example,

Albanes reported that rapid growth during adolescence is

tied to increased cancer risk in adulthood, with a 3-to

4-mm increment in leg length above average resulting in

an 80%higher risk in nonsmoking-related cancer, based

on a 50-year follow-up. 15 Hebert et al also found that

taller US physicians (183 cm [6 ft ]or more) had a higher

cancer rate than shorter ones (170 cm [5 ft 7 in ] or more). 16

DATA FROM ANIMAL STUDIES

Among different species, larger species usually grow

and mature slower and live longer. However, studies of

animals within the same species provide opposite results.

Since the 1930s, experimental studies of genetically sim-

ilar animals have found that caloric restriction with

adequate nutrition produces smaller animals with ex-

tended longevity. 2Bartke also conducted studies with ge-

netically small mice and found that small size with ad lib

nutrition resulted in extended longevity. 17He reported

that body size was a major determinant of longevity. Rollo

et al found that genetically large mice had reduced lon-

gevity compared with normal-sized mice. 18They also

found that larger animals within the same species have

rapid growth, higher reproductive effort, and accelerated

aging.

Bartke reported that a negative correlation between

body size and longevity applies to mice, dogs, and prob-

ably humans. 17Large amounts of data are available on

dogs, and researchers have found that smaller dogs live

longer than larger dogs. 19 Figure 3 shows the survival

of dogs based on height. Studies of monkeys have been

under way for more than 10 years, and thus far the

findings support those of longevity studies of smaller calorie-

restricted mice and other species. 2, 17We described

human examples of the benefits of caloric restriction

elsewhere. 2

Figure 3 Longevity of dogs for 4 height groups: short, medium, tall,

and very tall

BIOLOGIC CONSIDERATIONS

The biologic reasons for the lower longevity of larger bod-

ies include more cells subject to carcinogens and the using

up of cell-doubling potential (~50 doublings maximum)

to achieve larger body size as an adult. This subject was

discussed previously, 2and more detail is provided in a

second article. 20

CONCLUSION

Rapid developments in genetic engineering are likely to

lead to substantial increases in the height of future gen-

erations. Health and longevity are strongly affected by

socioeconomic status, relative weight, regular exercise, and

various health practices. However, animal and human

data suggest that larger body size independently reduces

longevity. Therefore, the promotion of greater height and

lean body mass in our children needs to be objectively

evaluated by the medical profession before it becomes the

norm.

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References

1 Martel LF, Biller HB. Stature and Stigma. Lexington, MA:Lexington

Books, 1987.

2 Samaras TT, Elrick H. Height, body size and longevity. Acta Med

Okayama 1999;53:149-169.

3 Liao Y, McGee DL, Cao G, RS. Short stature and risk of

mortality and cardiovascular disease:negative findings from the

NHANES I epidemiologic follow-up study. J Am Coll Cardiol

1996;27:678-682.

4 Okasha M, McCarron P, McEwen J, Davey G. Height and

cancer mortality:results from the Glasgow University student cohort.

Public Health 2000;114:451-455.

5 DD. Economics of scale. Challenge 1990;33:58-61.

6 Chan CM, Oreglia A. California Life Expectancy:Abridged Life Tables

for California and Los Angeles County, 1989-1991. Sacramento:Dept of

Health Services;1993.

7 Wild SH, Laws A, Fortmann SP, Varady AN, Byrne CD. Mortality

from coronary heart disease and stroke for six ethnic groups in

California 1985 to 1990. Ann Epidemiol 1995;5:432-439.

8 Elrick H. The Dual Focus Method of Patient Care. Bonita, CA:

Foundation for Optimal Health and Longevity;1991.

9 Willcox BJ, Willcox DC, Suzuki M. The Okinawa Program. New York,

NY:Potter Publishers;2001.

10 ARP. Survival rate at middle age in developing and western

populations. Postgrad Med J 1974;50:29-32.

11 Lindeberg S, Nilsson-Ehle P, Terent A, Vessby B, Schersten B.

Cardiovascular risk factors in a Melanesian population apparently free

from stroke and ischaemic heart disease:the Kitava study. J Intern Med

1994;236:331-340.

12 Page LB, Damon A, Moellering RC Jr. Antecedents of cardiovascular

disease in six Islands societies. Circulation 1974;49:1132-1146.

13 Samaras TT, Storms LH. Impact of height and weight on life span.

Bull World Health Organ 1992;70:259-267.

14 Samaras TT. How body height and weight affect our performance,

longevity, and survival. J Wash Acad Sci 1996;84:131-156.

15 Albanes D. Height, early energy intake and cancer:evidence mounts for

the relation of energy intake to adult malignancies. BMJ

1998;317:1331-1332.

16 Hebert PR, Ajani U, Cook NR, Lee IM, Chan KS, Hennekens CH.

Adult height and incidence of cancer in male physicians (United States) .

Cancer Causes Control 1997;8:591-597.

17 Bartke A. Delayed aging in Ames dwarf mice:relationships to endocrine

function and body size. In:Hekimi Z, ed. The Molecular Genetics of

Aging:Results and Problems in Cell Differentiation. Vol 29. Heidelberg,

Germany:Springer;2000:181-202.

18 Rollo CD, Carlson J, Sawada M. Accelerated aging of giant transgenic

mice is associated with elevated free radical processes. Can J Zool

1996;74:606-620.

19 Li Y, Deeb B, Pendergrass W, Wolf N. Cellular proliferative capacity

and life span in small and large dogs. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci

1996;51:B403-B408.

20 Samaras TT, Storms LL. Secular growth and its harmful ramifications.

Med Hypotheses 2002;58:98-112.

Alan Pater, Ph.D.; Faculty of Medicine; Memorial University; St. 's, NL

A1B 3V6 Canada; Tel. No.: (709) 777-6488; Fax No.: (709) 777-7010; email:

apater@...