most recent 30 from http://paleohacks.com 2013-05-26T01:04:11Z http://paleohacks.com/feeds/question/51764 http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/rdf http://paleohacks.com/questions/51764/modern-human-taller-and-living-longer-healthier Blueberry 2011-07-15T01:20:00Z 2011-07-18T23:42:34Z

<p>A couple of nights ago I had dinner with a friend. We spent nearly four hours arguing about food and diet. It was great. He is a teacher and 100% believes in conventional wisdom. Our views were exactly opposite. He believes in the low fat, high carb, whole grain garbage. (He is also only 45 and has been on statins for 5 years and now is on antihypertensives) I had an answer to every one of his arguements except one. He believes that humans as a whole are living longer now due to our diet. He also threw out the argument that we are now taller than ever before in our history. My response was about hygiene and antibiotics and medical services such as heart caths and cancer treatment that have created a society of sick but ageing people. My question to you wise folks is 1) How would you have countered that argument and 2) is it true that we as humans are now much taller than our ancestors were?</p> <p>Be gentle with me, it's my first question. :)</p>

http://paleohacks.com/questions/51764/modern-human-taller-and-living-longer-healthier/51766#51766 WaveHunter 2011-07-15T01:31:46Z 2011-07-15T01:31:46Z

<p>I'm not an expert but I'm pretty sure they have fossils of paleo Homo Sapiens being just as tall as modern humans.</p> <p>We are taller than Homo Erectus which were taller than Australopithecus so I think height does have something to do with evolution.</p> <p>Okinawans are pretty short so I don't think height has to do with longevity.</p>

http://paleohacks.com/questions/51764/modern-human-taller-and-living-longer-healthier/51768#51768 Jeff 2011-07-15T01:38:29Z 2011-07-15T01:38:29Z

<p>As far as I understand humans got smaller in overall size and brain size at the start of the agricultural revolution. </p> <p>Perhaps our recent size increases could be credited to the prevalence of growth-hormones and steroids in our milk and meat supply?</p>

http://paleohacks.com/questions/51764/modern-human-taller-and-living-longer-healthier/51771#51771 Happy Now 2011-07-15T02:35:19Z 2011-07-15T02:35:19Z

<p>I think I would have said those are two separate questions. Supposedly, people under 5 feet tall live longer. I think a lot of times when people say we're bigger and healthier than we used to be they are using data that only goes back to the industrial revolution or maybe feudal times. Moving to cities with cramped dark accommodations, having limited access to food, and huffing coal smoke day and night did a doozy on human health. </p>

http://paleohacks.com/questions/51764/modern-human-taller-and-living-longer-healthier/51780#51780 wendy 2011-07-15T04:47:29Z 2011-07-15T04:47:29Z

<p>Here is an outstanding article from an anthropologist on stature, health and other related matters pre and post agriculture. She concludes at the end that "taller" does not in fact mean healthier bones (i.e. more dense).</p> <p><a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110615094514.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110615094514.htm</a></p> <p>Also this is critical: While our age span is increasing, so is our MORBIDITY rate! Average is 7-10 years now. Morbidity is the length of time you are ill (i.e. have chronic disease) preceding death. Therefore, while people argue (in the CW world) that our lifespan is increasing...all we are really doing is keeping sick people alive longer. We've accomplished NOTHING.</p> <p>Slam dunk on your friend....10 points for the Paleo world...</p>

http://paleohacks.com/questions/51764/modern-human-taller-and-living-longer-healthier/51784#51784 John 2011-07-15T06:25:41Z 2011-07-15T06:25:41Z

<p>Humans were taller before the agricultural revolution, and we are just now getting back to where we were as we have been consuming more animal products. In the 19th century plains indians were the tallest people on earth, and they refused to eat anything other than buffalo.</p>

http://paleohacks.com/questions/51764/modern-human-taller-and-living-longer-healthier/51797#51797 Nemesis 2011-07-15T11:55:51Z 2011-07-15T11:55:51Z

<p>Has anyone taken an average brain case size of people from today's various cultures? I read somewhere that we lost quite a few CC's of brain matter during the agro period because of the poor diet and crowded (ie disease-ridden) living conditions. Wonder if that's changed or remained the same?</p>

http://paleohacks.com/questions/51764/modern-human-taller-and-living-longer-healthier/51815#51815 Andy 2011-07-15T15:34:28Z 2011-07-15T15:34:28Z

<p>OP, you said quite a bit with, "sick but aging". I've noticed in my work that over the last 23 years I've spent as a paramedic and a nurse that even over the relatively short time (compared to human existance) since I got into medicine that people are sicker longer and more debilitated during their time of illness (morbidity) prior to death (mortality). Sure longetivity has increased but quality of life has gone down. Most of the people who reach advanced ages would have been better off to have died much younger rather than being confined to a bed for 15 years, unaware of their surroundings. Those who are aware are miserable.</p> <p>I want do do as I've said for years, and as Sisson recently said, "live as long as I'm supposed to then drop dead." I remember when I was a kid, old people worked the fields and were productive then fell over dead while doing so... much better than rotting in a bed at the nursing home.</p> <p>And as a 20 year AHA instructor, I share a big part of the blame for preaching low fat, low fat, 8 - 10 servings of grain a day... I still teach for them, but not that crap any more.</p>

http://paleohacks.com/questions/51764/modern-human-taller-and-living-longer-healthier/51817#51817 Jack Kronk 2011-07-15T15:47:07Z 2011-07-15T15:47:07Z

<p>I think you nailed it with how you responded to him.</p> <p>Cancer, Obesity, Diabetes, Heart Disease, Autoimmune Disorders... </p> <p>Which way is the trend going? ^^^ Up. On all accounts too.</p> <p>That we are living longer is only more so a testament to the other things you threw out there like medicine, advanced surgical procedures, etc. </p> <p>Besides, it only takes a moment of thought to realize that you gotta be outta your mind to seriously believe that refined sugars, bleached grain powders, and chemically deodorized oils from seeds is actually responsible for increased longevity of human life. </p>

http://paleohacks.com/questions/51764/modern-human-taller-and-living-longer-healthier/51825#51825 UncleLongHair 2011-07-15T17:32:14Z 2011-07-15T17:32:14Z

<p>I think humans are living longer now vs. a few hundred years ago because of civilization. Buildings, heating and cooling, clean water, medicine, versatile food supply, etc. This is a relatively new phenomenon over the past 200-300 years, the estimated average life expectancy didn't get above 40 until the end of the 18th century, and then roughly doubled:</p> <p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_expectancy" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_expectancy</a></p> <p>During part of this period I think the food supply got a lot better and people ate better, but over the past 50 years, I think this has reversed. I can't imagine anyone making the argument that the average food that the average person eats today is good for you, it is obvious from the worldwide stats that people are becoming less healthy every day.</p>

http://paleohacks.com/questions/51764/modern-human-taller-and-living-longer-healthier/51926#51926 pistachio 2011-07-16T01:20:22Z 2011-07-16T01:20:22Z

<p>Taller humans could be an effect of natural selection: people choosing taller mates, thus having taller children over time. That's a pretty straight-forward biological answer and is probably not the whole truth.</p> <p>I have heard that my generation (the 20-somethings) will be the first generation to not live longer than their parents, probably due to diet. So for now we can say, yes we are living longer for a whole host of reasons mainly better medical care, cleaner living, proximity to resources (food, shelter, etc...) but that may not always hold true. The living environment will probably persist for my generation, but diet will probably be the weakest link and decrease our chance of living as long as our parents did.</p>

http://paleohacks.com/questions/51764/modern-human-taller-and-living-longer-healthier/52007#52007 Alan 2011-07-16T13:34:05Z 2011-07-16T13:34:05Z

<p>It seems we are not living longer after all.</p> <p><a href="http://www.ecademy.com/node.php?id=20711" rel="nofollow">http://www.ecademy.com/node.php?id=20711</a></p>

http://paleohacks.com/questions/51764/modern-human-taller-and-living-longer-healthier/52413#52413 John 2011-07-18T23:42:34Z 2011-07-18T23:42:34Z

<p><a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/05/010529071125.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/05/010529071125.htm</a></p>