- Joined
- Dec 15, 2006
- Messages
- 7,378
- Reaction score
- 42
I thought this might interest you.
So, I read a great article today, about how Asians are increasing in size.
The article was saying that these days, Asian people are much taller and much larger than they were a generation ago, or generations before that. It was saying that on average young people from the more developed Asian countries (Japan, South Korea) are now as tall as Westerners but not quite as heavy, but that within a generation or two they will be about the same all over.
It said that it is basically a combination of nutrition patterns and economic growth, pointing out that in the past, and still in the poor Asian countries, people have a diet with particularly low levels of protein, and this is the cause of lack of body development, height, mass. It presents some data, plus also presents evidence from how people adapt to low availability of protein, for example by eating bugs.
The article pointed out that several things have been happening in Asian countries at once- increasing incomes, increasingly intensive farming, and increased levels of protein in diet. The patterns holds across countries (i.e. looking at different Asian countries now) and over time (looking at how individual countries have developed).
The most interesting part of the article discusses significance of the continued rapid economic expansion of China and other Asian countries, asking as incomes and nutrition continually increase, what will the effect on size and body composition of Asian people? For how long will Asian people continue to grow in height and size? Will they eventually become even bigger than us? And if so, by how much?
Interestingly, using a model of nutrition and body growth, and economic projections provided by the World Bank, the authors arrive at the following incredible conclusion:
What an amazing future it is that we face! I for one look forward to it.
So, I read a great article today, about how Asians are increasing in size.
The article was saying that these days, Asian people are much taller and much larger than they were a generation ago, or generations before that. It was saying that on average young people from the more developed Asian countries (Japan, South Korea) are now as tall as Westerners but not quite as heavy, but that within a generation or two they will be about the same all over.
It said that it is basically a combination of nutrition patterns and economic growth, pointing out that in the past, and still in the poor Asian countries, people have a diet with particularly low levels of protein, and this is the cause of lack of body development, height, mass. It presents some data, plus also presents evidence from how people adapt to low availability of protein, for example by eating bugs.
The article pointed out that several things have been happening in Asian countries at once- increasing incomes, increasingly intensive farming, and increased levels of protein in diet. The patterns holds across countries (i.e. looking at different Asian countries now) and over time (looking at how individual countries have developed).
The most interesting part of the article discusses significance of the continued rapid economic expansion of China and other Asian countries, asking as incomes and nutrition continually increase, what will the effect on size and body composition of Asian people? For how long will Asian people continue to grow in height and size? Will they eventually become even bigger than us? And if so, by how much?
Interestingly, using a model of nutrition and body growth, and economic projections provided by the World Bank, the authors arrive at the following incredible conclusion:
What an amazing future it is that we face! I for one look forward to it.
