In countries where access to quality food is complicated, the growth curve has flattened out over time, and even dropped, as in sub-Saharan Africa. China, on the other hand, has seen its youth grow by 8cm since 1985, when the country was still an emerging economy.
-1604670325.jpg "Dietary deficiencies have caused young people in some countries to lose 20cm")
- A quality diet in young people has a direct influence on their height as adults.
- The largest are located in Northern Europe and the smallest in Southeast Asia, where food-related issues are significant on a daily basis.
- This is also played out in the school canteen, which is the place where the children can eat properly.
Nutrition and dietary deficiencies affect our adult height. Without a study published on November 7, 2020 in The Lancetresearchers from Imperial College London (UK) explain that the curve of height and weight around the world is linked to diet, and that deficiencies can lead to children not reaching their full potential adulthood.
For their study, the researchers used data from 65 million children aged between 5 and 19 in 193 countries, between 1985 and 2019. They recorded their height and weight, which are good indicators of health and the growth. Analyzing the results, they found a difference of 20cm among 19-year-olds between countries where young people are tall and those where they are short. For example, the average height of a 19-year-old girl in Bangladesh is equivalent to that of an 11-year-old in the Netherlands.
In Europe the largest, in Southeast Asia the smallest
In their study, the researchers point out that childhood malnutrition, due to a lack of quality food, can lead to stunted growth and an increase in childhood obesity. This then has consequences for the health and well-being of the child for the rest of his life.
Among men, the tallest youngsters in the world are in Northern and Central Europe, with the Netherlands, Montenegro (1.83m on average) and Estonia (1.82m) on the tallest podium steps. Conversely, East Timor (1.60m on average), Laos (1.62m) and the Solomon Islands (1.63m) bring up the rear. The French, with 1.78m on average, are at 34and position.
Among women, the Netherlands and Montenegro still stand out (1.70m on average) followed by Denmark (1.69m). The bottom of the ranking is occupied by Guatemala (1.50m average), Bangladesh and Nepal (1.52m average for the two countries). The French, with 1.64m on average, are in 45and position.
The importance of the country’s food and wealth can be seen in the long-term figures. Thus, in a country like China, the current height of 19-year-old boys has increased by 8cm since 1985, when the country was still an emerging economy. Conversely, the height of boys in several sub-Saharan African countries has stagnated or even fallen over the past few decades, due to difficulties in finding quality food.
Meals delivered to the canteen, essential in some countries
If the size of young people has evolved, their waistline is not left out. The difference between the BMI of the heaviest and lightest young people is 25kg on average. This increase in weight is particularly marked in the Pacific Islands, the Middle East and the United States. Moreover, in countries where quality food is not in abundance, children have not grown enough and have gained too much weight compared to the growth curve defined by the World Health Organization (WHO ).
For Majid Ezzati, lead author of the study and professor of public health at Imperial College London, this growth retardation is explained in particular by access to school, and the meals provided by the canteen. “In some countries, children grow up healthily until the age of five, but fall behind during the school years. This shows that there is an imbalance between investments aimed at improving the nutrition of preschool children and those aimed at school-aged children and adolescents. This issue is particularly important during the COVID-19 pandemic, when schools are closed around the world and many poor families are unable to provide adequate nutrition for their children.”
His colleague and co-author of the study, Andre Rodriguez Martinez, goes further in his analysis: “Our findings should motivate policies that increase the availability and reduce the cost of nutritious foods, as this will help children grow without gaining excessive weight relative to their height. These initiatives include food stamps for nutritious food aimed at low-income families, and healthy, free school lunch programs that are particularly at risk during the pandemic. These actions would allow children to grow without gaining excessive weight, with benefits for their health and well-being throughout their lives..”
.
-1604670325.jpg&description=Dietary+deficiencies+have+caused+young+people+in+some+countries+to+lose+20cm){kind=link}