The purpose of this study is to explore the main correlates of male height in 105 countries in Europe & overseas, Asia, North Africa and Oceania. Actual data on male height are compared with the average consumption of 28 protein sources (FAOSTAT, 1993-2009) and seven socioeconomic indicators (according to the World Bank, the CIA World Factbook and the United Nations). This comparison identified three fundamental types of diets based on rice, wheat and milk, respectively. The consumption of rice dominates in tropical Asia, where it is accompanied by very low total protein and energy intake, and one of the shortest statures in the world (∼162-168cm). Wheat prevails in Muslim countries in North Africa and the Near East, which is where we also observe the highest plant protein consumption in the world and moderately tall statures that do not exceed 174cm. In taller nations, the intake of protein and energy no longer fundamentally rises, but the consumption of plant proteins markedly decreases at the expense of animal proteins, especially those from dairy. Their highest consumption rates can be found in Northern and Central Europe, with the global peak of male height in the Netherlands (184cm). In general, when only the complete data from 72 countries were considered, the consumption of protein from the five most correlated foods (r=0.85) and the human development index (r=0.84) are most strongly associated with tall statures. A notable finding is the low consumption of the most correlated proteins in Muslim oil superpowers and highly developed countries of East Asia, which could explain their lagging behind Europe in terms of physical stature.

Height is one of the most sensitive indicators of well-being because it combines the external influences of nutrition, economic wealth, health care, social equality, and other important socio-economic factors. The aim of this ecological study was to compare actual values of male and female height from 152 populations (except sub-Saharan Africa) with the mean supply of 47 food items from the FAOSTAT database (1995-2013) and mean values of seven socio-economic indicators (1995-2013). This comparison shows that economic wealth at the country level is only a mediocre correlate of physical growth because it is only loosely associated with the quality of nutrition and it does not reflect the social distribution of wealth. In a multiple regression model, the best predictors of stature are protein sources of the best and worst quality, and total fertility (which critically influences the amount of resources expended per child). In summary, these findings indicate that irrespective of crude economic statistics, the choice of specific nutrient sources and small family size are crucial factors determining the optimal physical development of children. Based on our data, we also believe that current international dietary recommendations regarding protein intake and protein quality would deserve serious re-evaluation.

Food consumption and the actual statistics of cardiovascular diseases: an epidemiological comparison of 42 European countries

The aim of this anthropometric survey, conducted between 2015 and 2016 in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), was to map local geographical differences in male stature and some other anthropometric characteristics (sitting height, arm span). In addition, to investigate the main environmental factors influencing physical growth, the documented values of height would be compared with available nutritional and socioeconomic statistics. Anthropometric data were collected in 3192 boys aged approximately 18.3 years (17–20 years), from 97 schools in 37 towns. When corrected for population size in the examined regions, the average height of young males in BiH is 181.2 cm (181.4 cm in the Bosniak-Croat Federation, 180.9 cm in Republika Srpska). The regional variation is considerable—from 179.7 cm in the region of Doboj to 184.5 cm in the region of Trebinje. These results fill a long-term gap in the anthropological research of the Western Balkans and confirm older reports that the population of the Dinaric Alps is distinguished by extraordinary physical stature. Together with the Dutch, Montenegrins and Dalmatians, men from Herzegovina (183.4 cm) can be regarded as the tallest in the world. Because both nutritional standards and socioeconomic conditions are still deeply suboptimal, the most likely explanation of this exceptional height lies in specific genetic factors associated with the spread of Y haplogroup I-M170. The genetic potential for height in this region could then be the greatest in the world. Future studies should further elucidate the roots of this intriguing phenomenon, which touches an important aspect of human biodiversity.

The aim of this work was to offer an ecological alternative to conventional observational studies and identify factors potentially associated with cancer incidence in Europe. The incidence of 24 types of cancer in 39 European countries (2012) was compared with a long-term mean supply of 68 food items from the FAOSTAT database (1993–2011) and some other variables such as smoking, body mass index, raised cholesterol, and socioeconomic indicators. In addition to simple Pearson linear correlations, the data were analyzed via factor analyses and penalized regression methods. This comparison identified two main groups of cancers that are characteristically associated with the same variables. The first group consists of cancers of the prostate, breast, white blood cells, and melanoma. Their incidence increases with rising gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, a prevalence of raised cholesterol and a high intake of animal products. The second group includes primarily cancers of the digestive tract and is most consistently correlated with alcoholic beverages, lard, and eggs. In addition, we found specific correlations between certain variables and some other types of cancer (smoking—lung and larynx cancer; low GDP per capita and high carbohydrate consumption—stomach and cervical cancer; tea drinking—esophageal cancer; maize consumption and wine drinking—liver cancer). The documented findings often remarkably agree with the current scientific consensus, and when combined with evidence based on different methodologies, they can further extend our knowledge of the etiology of cancer. In addition, our study also identifies several foods with possible preventive effects and indicates that various dairy products may markedly differ in their relationship to cancer incidence. All these data can potentially be of fundamental importance for clinical practice and the survival of cancer patients.

The aim of this anthropometric survey was to map regional differences in height and body proportions in eight counties adjacent to the Adriatic coast of Croatia. Body height was measured in 1,803 males and 782 females aged 17–20 years at 66 schools in 23 towns. When corrected for population size in regions, mean male height is 182.6 cm in all eight counties, 182.8 cm in seven counties of Adriatic Croatia, and 183.7 cm in four counties of Dalmatia proper. Regional variation is considerable: from 180.6 cm in the county of Karlovac to 184.1 cm in the county of Split-Dalmacija. The mean height of females is based on more limited data (168.0 cm in seven counties). These results show that young men from Dalmatia are currently the tallest in the world in the age category of 18 years, and the north-to-south gradient of increasing stature on the Adriatic coast largely mirrors that in neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). The extraordinary values of height in Croatia and BiH can most likely be explained by unique genetic predispositions that are shared by the local populations of the Dinaric Alps.