The English were relatively short in the mid-nineteenth century and so their expeditions return with stories some exaggerated, not doubt about "giants" who lived in other parts of the world.

The English were relatively short in the mid-nineteenth century and so their expeditions return with stories some exaggerated, not doubt about "giants" who lived in other parts of the world.

A rich diet does lead to earlier puberty but to my knowledge it does not student the adolescent growth spurt. Early pregnancy, before reaching adult height, does slow or stop growth.

People tend to shrink with age, especially after age 50 or so. It has to do with spaces between the joints amount of cartilage and posture. Bone length does not change.

Young children from Guatemala who are adopted into the United States gain considerable height relative to the standards. So the height difference cannot be genetic.

The second and third generation effect of immigration accounts for only a small portion of the height shortfall between Americans and northern Europeans. Besides the slowdown in American heights began in the 1950s, well before large-scale immigration into the country.

There are some effects of the biome. Compact bodies tend to conserve heat relative to linear ones. This can affect average height as well as body proportions. The study participants Europeans and Americans do not fall into the range where this effect is powerful, however.