Height, body size, and longevity: is smaller better for the human body?

Martel and Biller reported that the socially ideal height for western menis 188 cm (6 ft 2 in) andrising.1 Withadvances in genetic engineering, parents will be able to control the heightsof their children, and these heights are likely to increase with each newgeneration. Indeed, greater height and associated lean body mass are viewedpositively by the medical profession and society. This bias is based on a fewstudies and our cultural values but ignores extensive data that indicate thatshorter stature is healthier. We summarize our findings of more than 25 yearsof personal and literatureresearch.​literatureresearch. Table 1 Age-standardized death rates from all causes, coronary heart disease(CHD), and stroke per 100,000 population (males) for 6 ethnic groups inCalifornia