So it's official......

Americans are shrinking!

Great! Just what I need. It is hard enough given that all the shorties want tall men too! Now, there are fewer of them!

So, apparently the average height in the US is not 5'10" :-I That is 1 inch taller than I am barefoot! And below my low end height preference of 6'0". Sigh......

What is a tall girl to do???

Apparently, go to Holland! In Holland, the average height is 6'1". Hey, I like cheese and windmills and.... well, there is Amsterdam.... And people are taller in Denmark too at 6' even.

But this is rather depressing. We are now #3 in height amongst industrialized nations. And, they say that height is the single most definitive indicator of success across societies. Tall people are more successful, are more likely to be elected into public office..... The Romans were one of the tallest civilizations when they ruled the Western world. When George Washington, at 6'2", was elected president, Americans were the tallest people in the world and held the title for 200 years. But in my lifetime, we have lost that title.

So, some of the key indicators that can have an effect on height are 1) overall health, especially pre-natal and as children and 2) overeating at a young age which can interfere with the production of key growth hormones. This taps into 2 major issues that are plaguing our society today: Health insurance and the lack of universal health care in this country and the unhealthy eating habits of a fast food nation.

So will this be the undoing of the domination of the US in the world economy? Will we all be looking to Holland with envy as the country rises in power with an army of 6'5"+ leaders at the helm? I doubt it but....... maybe its time to make a trip to Amsterdam and Copenhagen! ;-)