A new viral trend among Gen-Z TikTokers has been inspired by a common joke: ‘How much longer do short people live?’ This question has led to many discussions about the causes of short life, including genetics, lifestyle, and disease. But there is no definitive answer.
Life expectancy of shorter people
While tall people tend to live longer, the opposite is true for short people. In one study, shorter men lived an average of two years longer than taller men. Similarly, a recent study of 3,901 basketball players found that short people lived longer than their taller counterparts. Those findings may sound counterintuitive, but they are supported by a growing body of evidence.
There are several reasons why shorter people live longer than tall people. One possible explanation is that short people need fewer calories per day. Because tall people have bigger internal organs and bones, they need more energy to maintain their size. Short people also have fewer cells. This means they are more susceptible to the damaging effects of free radicals and carcinogens.
Moreover, researchers have found that people with shorter stature are more likely to have fewer chronic illnesses than tall people. This relationship has been observed in many studies over the last century. However, there is no concrete evidence that shows a direct correlation between height and longevity.
Genetics
There have been a number of studies examining the link between genetics and body size. While there is some evidence to suggest that people who are short are more likely to live longer than their taller counterparts, there is no clear connection between height and life expectancy. Rather, the relationship between age and height is largely indirect and based on many other factors, including lifestyle.
One study found that short men had a greater frequency of carrying the gene FOXO3, which has been shown to prolong life in animal studies. However, until now, this gene has not been linked to differences in height in humans. The researchers studied 8,000 Japanese-American men whose length was measured in years. The results were published in the scientific journal PLOS ONE. They found that short men have lower blood insulin levels and have a higher level of the protective gene FOXO3.
Longevity is also influenced by social, economic, and medical factors. Studies have shown that smoking, exercise, and nutrition all influence lifespan. But genetics also play a major role in health and lifespan. In one observational study of 8,003 Japanese-American men, researchers looked at the FOX03 gene’s effect on longevity. Researchers found that shorter men had higher lifespans than men over five feet four inches.
Lifestyle
Several studies have indicated that people of short stature in traditional societies have low rates of CVD. These studies also show that short people have better health than tall people in some ways, such as lower blood pressure, better metabolic control, and better physical fitness. Nevertheless, these results are not conclusive and are likely due to several other factors, such as lifestyle and genetics.
According to one study, people of short stature have a lower risk of skin cancer than tall people. Among 5.5 million people born between 1938 and 1991, short people were 30% less likely to develop skin cancer than people of average height. For this reason, people of short stature should make an effort to avoid standing in the shadow of taller people.
Other advantages of being short include having more legroom in airplanes and better balance in sports. Because of their lower center of gravity, short people have an edge over tall people when it comes to sports. The downsides of being short include being constantly asked to explain your age and trying to fit into small spaces.
Diseases
Scientists have long been interested in the link between height and longevity. In the 19th century, physicians began to study this question, concluding that taller people lived longer than shorter ones. However, these findings were skewed by correlation-cause confusion. In the early 20th century, health experts assumed that tall people lived longer than short ones because tall people had better hygiene and diet.
Nevertheless, this difference does not appear to be due to genetics, which is the primary cause of short people’s shorter lifespan. Researchers in Hawaii studied the lifespans of 8,000 American-Japanese men. They found that short men carried the longevity gene FOXO3, which leads to a smaller body size in early development. Additionally, short men had lower blood insulin levels, which was linked to a longer lifespan.
Short people, however, are not necessarily more likely to develop cancer than tall people. This is partly due to the fact that tall people have larger lungs, which make them more vulnerable to pulmonary disease. In addition, cancer risks may be higher in tall people due to increased levels of certain hormones. These hormones may also be related to the intake of certain foods that promote fast growth.