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Level 2 – Pre-intermediateEuropean men getting taller
German scientists recently published their research on the height of Europeans and Americans over the past two hundred years. They made some interesting discoveries.
At the end of the 18th century, the average American man was two inches taller than the average British man. Today the situation is the opposite. The British are on average half an inch taller than the Americans. But Dutch men are even taller. Their average height is 6ft 1 compared to 5ft 10 for the Americans.
The reasons why Americans have stopped growing is a mystery. But it is possible that better health care in Europe is one reason. In the US, around 40 million people have no health insurance.
Another possible explanation is that Americans are not eating the right food. Obesity is a big problem in the US and this suggests that people are eating the wrong food. They are getting fatter but not taller.