How does the average height of young people in Japan today compare with past generations?

serpa

Getting taller. But lost in the gloomy news, and even ignored by many here, is one measurement by which the reputedly diminutive Japanese have been closing the gap impressively with Westerners: height. In 50 years, according to statistics kept by the Ministry of Education, the average height of Japanese 11-year-olds has increased by more than 5 1/2 inches. The height of girls, who grow faster at that age, meanwhile, has increased even more. So far, there has been no definitive explanation for the increased growth, but it is widely believed to be caused by improvements in diet and the elimination of once-common infectious diseases, both expressions of Japan's swift postwar economic rise. According to one recent study, for instance, intake of animal protein has doubled to 60 grams a day since 1960. http://www.nytimes.com/2001/02/01/world/tokyo-journal-the-japanese-it-seems-are-outgrowing-japan.html Dec 12 09, 7:34 PM