U.S. is Falling Short

New York PostJuly 17th, 2007

U.S. is Falling Short

It seems our poor eating habits are making us shrink.
Height is correlated with numerous measures of a population’s well being. Tall people are healthier, wealthier and livelonger than short people.It’s not that being tall actually makes you smarter, richer, or healthier. It’s that the same thing that make you tall – nutritious diet, good prenatal care and a healthy childhood – also benefit you in those other ways. That makes height a good indicator for economists who are interested in measuring how well a nation provides for its citizens during their time of prim growing years.
John Komlos, an economic historian at the University of Munich who has spent the last quarter-century compiling data on the heights of nations. "Obviously, America is not doing badly. It's not at the level of developing nations," Komlos said. "But it's also not doing as well as it could." His latest research paper, published in the June issue of Social Science Quarterly, suggests the blame may lie with America's poor diet and its expensive, inequitable health-care system. "American children might consume more meals prepared outside of the home, more fast food rich in fat, high in energy density and low in essential micronutrients," wrote Komlos and co-author Benjamin Lauderdale of Princeton University. "Furthermore, the European welfare states provide a more comprehensive social safety net including universal health-care coverage."
America used to be the tallest country in the world. From the days of the Founding Fathers right on through the industrial revolution and two world wars, Americans towered over other nations. But America's predominance in height has faded. Americans reached a height plateau after World War II, gradually falling behind the rest of the world. By the 1960s, most northern and western European countries had caught up with and surpassed the United States. Young adults in Japan and other prosperous Asian countries now stand nearly as tall as Americans do. Even residents of East Germany are taller than Americans today. In Holland, the tallest country in the world, the typical man now measures 6 feet, a good two inches more than his average American counterpart. Compare that to 1850, when the situation was reversed. Not just the Dutch but also all the nations of Western Europe stood 2½ inches shorter than their American brethren.
People, wake up and smell the coffee.
Obesity, diabetes, increased bone fractures and now stunted growth.Somebody save the children!Parents must start to cook at home. I do not mean hot dogs and cheeseburgers. Ten bucjs can feed a family of four with power packed nutrients and you can have doubles and lose weight.

Visit www.infinitehealthresources.com and click on recipes.