The lifestyle of adults in India is impacting the average height of the adult population, leading to a steady and alarming decline.
Several studies in the past have shown that the average height of adults across the globe is is on the rise, but against this trend, the average height of adults in India is declining at an alarming rate, as per a study titled ‘Trends of adult height in India from 1998 to 2015: Evidence from the National Family and Health Survey’.
The authors of this study have stated, “In the context of an overall increase in average heights worldwide, the decline in the average height of adults in India is alarming and demands an urgent enquiry. The argument for different standards of height for the Indian population as different genetic groups needs further scrutiny.”
The study further states that the decline in the average height of Indian adults is not just because of a genetic factor, but various non-genetic factors have also come into play, such as lifestyle, nutrition, social and economic determinants and so on.
The authors of this study researched various height trends of the average height of adults across India, and the results showed that overall, the average height of women and men in the age group of 15-25 years has taken a major hit in the past few years.
While the average height of women has been decreased by nearly 0.42 cm, the average height of men in the above age group has been decreased by 1.10 cm. The decline in average height was observed across religious groups, caste or tribe, residence and wealth index.
The authors wrote, “The role of nutrition over stature, however, has had a long and contested history among nutritionists, policymakers and health professionals. In India, the debate was recently fuelled by Dr [Arvind] Panagariya’s argument on stunting and subsequent critiques of it by various scholars. Evidently, much of this scholarship on stunting and height has focused on children.”
The authors also talked about the factors which are influencing the decline in the average height of adults in India. They pointed out that it is usually claimes that genetic factors determine 60%–80% of the final height, environmental and social factors contribute significantly to the realisation of that potential.
The study further states, “Adequate nutrition is closely linked with an individual’s achievement of his/her genetic potential of height growth. The impact of nutrition on height gain can start as early as foetal life. Malnutrition during infancy, especially stunting around puberty, significantly affects the final height gain in adulthood.”
The study concludes that the decline in the average height of adults in India “reflect prior nutritional stress, which is conditioned by social and environmental factors over time. Socioeconomic factors, like household characteristics (number of siblings, occupation, class and locality, etc.), have a bearing on human stature.”
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