A myriad of studies published over the last century suggest that taller people generally have higher incomes, better education, and tend to live longer . In essence, the studies argue that there is a relationship between being taller and having access to good nutrition and hygiene, which, in turn, reduces the possibility of developing certain respiratory and heart diseases and promotes longevity. Other research, as shown below, also indicates that they tend to be more dominant and optimistic. However, some experts point out the opposite. Thus, an essay published in The Lancet in 2011 revealed that the relative risk of suffering from cancer increases by 16% for every 10 cm above 1.53 meters.
1. Countries of height
If you want to walk among giants, take a walk in the Netherlands. According to a study by Imperial College London, the average male height in this country is 1.82 meters. To find the tallest women you have to travel to Latvia, where they reach 1.7 meters on average. Spain is ranked 41st and 44th in the world ranking, with a height of 1.77 and 1.63 in men and women respectively.
2. Very manly
If Hollywood filmmakers choose tall actors like Hugh Jackman or Ben Affleck – both 1.89 m – to portray strong and dominant characters, it is not on a whim. Humans tend to perceive taller males as more masculine and fit for leadership. It was tested by British scientists who in an experiment manipulated the photos of some young people so that they appeared to show a different age and height than they were. His conclusion was that we consider people over 35 years old to be more virile and stronger.
3. The slimmest
“You are tall and thin like your mother …”, says a popular Spanish song. Apparently, both traits are usually inherited together, as it is believed that there is a relationship between genes associated with greater stature and a low body mass index . Matthew Robinson, from the University of Queensland (Australia), argues that evolution has favored this to occur especially in northern Europe.
4. Good outlook
Being a bigard doesn’t just make it easier for you when it comes to playing basketball. Tennis players and quarterbacks in football also have an advantage in height. Teng Leng Ooi and his colleagues at Ohio University showed that tall people are better at identifying objects between 20 and 23 meters away. According to Ooi, the fact of spending a lifetime looking at things that are below their eyes – that is, from a higher perspective – gives the taller ones a privileged spatial capacity. And it is that in this way, with the visual references that exist from a slightly zenith position, one would learn to better calculate distances .
5. Stronger and flirtatious
Many males taller than 6 feet seem to have a magnet for females. A University of Utah study published in PLOS ONE suggests this may be in part because men hit harder if they hit downward, giving tall men an advantage. Females would be more predisposed from an evolutionary point of view towards those who have everything to win.
6. You are unique
Could you tell if a person is tall just by hearing their voice? Scientists at the University of Washington have proven that, in at least six out of ten attempts, yes. According to their research, the key lies in a type of sound produced in the lower areas of the lungs known as subglottic resonance. The point is that the taller a person is, the more serious the subglottic resonance of his voice becomes. “It’s like when you blow into a glass bottle: if it is half full, a higher sound is generated than if there is only liquid at the bottom,” the researchers explain.
7. Two by two
According to research carried out in the United States, multiple pregnancies predominate among taller pregnant women . Experts attribute this to the fact that they have a greater presence of a growth factor that increases ovarian follicular stimulation and egg production, which, in turn, favors the conception of twins and twins.
8. Healthier hearts
If your height is above average, you are less likely to end up being diabetic or have a heart attack, according to different studies. Researchers attribute this to taller people having higher levels of the protein IGF, a molecule that increases insulin sensitivity and activates fat metabolism. The downside is that, at the same time, it seems to promote cell growth, which also increases the risk of cancer, especially of the prostate, breast and colon.
9. Conservatives
Above 1.7 m, politics looks different. That’s at least what emerges from an Ohio State University study, which essentially shows that the taller a person, the more likely they are to follow a right-wing ideology . Researchers have even put figures on this phenomenon: for every 2.5 centimeters of extra height, the tendency to vote for conservative parties increases by 0.5%.
10. Born investors
If in adolescence you took a head out of your classmates, it is likely that as you grow up you will invest in stocks, as researchers from Cornell University in the USA have just announced. They assure that these people tend to be more optimistic and they have a better opinion of themselves, and that when they reach adulthood they are willing to take more risks. On the contrary, those who were shorter and stockier when they left their childhood behind are more reluctant to do so.
Image: Joe Robinson / CC
