It’s not just genetics that is important in determining how tall we get. A recent study suggests that wealthy people are more likely to have taller children than others.
Barron Trump with his parents. PHOTO Getty Images
Research suggests that family income is the second strongest predictor of how tall we get, according to Daily Mail Online
The conclusion comes from a study in which data on more than 13,000 Latino and Hispanic Americans were examined, and in which researchers assessed details such as their height, socioeconomic education and genetics.
The explanation comes just days after a family photo posted by Take That singer Gary Barlow, showing his 24-year-old son taller than his father, set the internet ablaze.
Gary Barlow, surpassed in height by his son. PHOTO Instagram. Source Daily Mail
Social media users shared pictures of other children “giants” of celebrities including Donald Trump’s son Barron Trump, 18, and more recently Kourtney Kardashian’s eldest son Mason, just 14.
Growing up in a wealthier family matters when it comes to height
Experts from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York – the authors of the study – presented their findings at the American Heart Association Conference in Chicago, where they stated that developing/growing up in a wealthier family may take precedence over other factors.
This may indicate “better nutrition and social resources to promote growth”, according to the team that did the research.
The researchers found that this height was also linked to better heart health and cognitive abilities among the children.
Reverse of the medal
However, they noted that gains in heart health could be reversed in adulthood once lifestyle factors, such as obesity caused by eating too many calories, catch up.
Previous studies have shown that sleep, stress and access to healthcare are important factors when it comes to height.
The research findings echo a previous British study which showed that children in poorer areas of England were more than four times more likely to measure below the average height for their age compared to those in wealthier areas, according to Daily Mail Online
