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Height and BMI values of German conscripts in 2000, 2001 and 1906

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Listed author(s):
  • Hiermeyer, Martin

Abstract

We examine the height and weight of 320,000 German 18-22-year-old conscripts born between 1979 and 1982. We show that height and BMI outcomes are associated with the socio-economic status of a person. For example, we find a positive correlation between education and height and a negative one between education and BMI. A West-East and a North-South gradient in both height and BMI is found. Today, West German recruits are about 5.5Â cm taller than their peers 43 years ago and about 12.5Â cm taller than those 100 years ago, reflecting a substantial improvement in the biological standard of living. To this day, however, individuals of high socio-economic status reach an above-average height.

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File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1570-677X(09)00050-1
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Article provided by Elsevier in its journal Economics & Human Biology.

Volume (Year): 7 (2009)
Issue (Month): 3 (December)
Pages: 366-375

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Handle: RePEc:eee:ehbiol:v:7:y:2009:i:3:p:366-375
Contact details of provider: Web page: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/inca/622964

Keywords: Living standards Welfare Height Social inequality;

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  1. John Komlos, 2007. "Anthropometric evidence on economic growth, biological well-being and regional convergence in the Habsburg Monarchy, c. 1850–1910," Cliometrica, Journal of Historical Economics and Econometric History, Association Française de Cliométrie (AFC), vol. 1(3), pages 211-237, October.
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  8. John Komlos & Peter Kriwy, 2003. "The Biological Standard of Living in the Two Germanies," German Economic Review, Verein für Socialpolitik, vol. 4, pages 459-473, November.
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  10. Heineck, Guido, 2006. "Height and weight in Germany, evidence from the German Socio-Economic Panel, 2002," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 4(3), pages 359-382, December.
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Cited by:

  1. Hatton, Timothy J. & Bray, Bernice E., 2010. "Long run trends in the heights of European men, 19th-20th centuries," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 8(3), pages 405-413, December.
  2. Grasgruber, P. & Cacek, J. & Kalina, T. & Sebera, M., 2014. "The role of nutrition and genetics as key determinants of the positive height trend," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 15(C), pages 81-100.
  3. McEvoy, Brian P. & Visscher, Peter M., 2009. "Genetics of human height," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 7(3), pages 294-306, December.
  4. Bielecki, Emily M. & Haas, Jere D. & Hulanicka, Barbara, 2012. "Secular changes in the height of Polish schoolboys from 1955 to 1988," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 10(3), pages 310-317.
  5. Kues, Arne Benjamin, 2010. "Taller - Healthier - more equal? The biological standard of living in Switzerland in the second half of the 20th century," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 8(1), pages 67-79, March.
  6. Huang, Ying & van Poppel, Frans & Lumey, L.H., 2015. "Differences in height by education among 371,105 Dutch military conscripts," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 17(C), pages 202-207.
  7. Ramon Ramon-Muñoz & Josep-Maria Ramon-Muñoz, 2015. "Height and Industrialisation in a City in Catalonia during the Nineteenth Century," UB Economics Working Papers 2015/334, Universitat de Barcelona, Facultat d'Economia i Empresa, UB Economics.

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