Why are the Dutch so tall? BBC News

The Dutch are, on average, the world's tallest people, but it hasn't always been that way.

So what happened? Scientists believe a number of factors are responsible, such as genetics, better diet and medical care.

But now there's another theory. Research from the London School of Tropical Medicine suggests that natural selection may also have something to do with it.

Jane O'Brien went to the Netherlands to find out more.

[sweiland]

Dutch grew vertically while Americans grew horizontally.

[vatsalsaxena]

I am an Indian male, barely 5'5". I went to the Netherlands for a few days in 2015 and had my neck craned up literally all the time. Even some of their young children who were not even teenagers were already my height.

[chiragpatel]

I was in the Netherlands for vacation for 1 week. And I'm 5 11" male. Almost every guy I ran into was at least 6 1". There were many that were 6 5". It's crazy to think about. The women are basically my height. And some are even taller. I felt like I was on a different planet!

[ImadZeryouh]

Weed is legal in the netherlands thats why we become so high XD

[pim]

Hi, Dutch person at 5' 8" here. We're not all huge.

Signed,
All Dutch people below the average height

[texanterror]

The reason that we're so tall is so that we don't drown as fast when our land will inevitably be flooded.

[jasminehosk]

I'm a dutch girl and 5'9'', and that's not even that tall. It's really funny because when I go to another country for vacation everyone seems shorter and I feel huge!

[anglo-dutchsausage]

When I lived in Holland I was a shorty. Now I live in the UK...


..and I'm average.

[shshnsdnnsns]

"And she has very big feet, that's because Astrid is Dutch." What?😂

[thatpersononyoutube]

Well, they gotta keep their heads above water

[LarryFischerman]

Well that explains why I (as a foreigner living in Holland) can't see shit at concerts..

[mohammedalitalha]

The Dutch literally look down on others.

[themannamedwolfie]

I'm 6'1 and visiting made me feel like I was rey mysterio, for those who don't know he's one of the shortest people in Wrestling.

[rippedreaper]

Last year I went to Amsterdam to visit family, at 6ft I never felt so short in my life

[basedcataphract]

Im indonesian, its funny to think that the Tallest country in the world once colonizes the shortest country in the world😂

[harveypratt]

My friend had a Dutch stepfather. He stood 6’3. He had about six brother’s. No sisters. They ranged from the shortest one at 6’ to the tallest at 6’8”. Plus to further the questions of Dutch height these men were born in the 1930s to the early 1940’s. So, this isn’t like a modern day phenomenon. Additionally, the shortest of the bunch had the same condition of Queen Elizabeth. His entire life he got by on about half the amount of sleep most people need. Diet and environment certainly have some effect on this. Not as much as many people think it is. I’m a firm believer height is in your genes. It’s determined at conception from the mix of genes you inherit from your parents. Plus, I think it’s all pretty obvious. I work with different ethnic back grounds from around the world. Of course in some cases if a person doesn’t have any features that are easily identifiable things aren’t so obvious. I’m a Heinz 57. My blue eyes are about the only clue you will have. That and I’m a 5’9” white man with brown hair. It’s very clear to see the consistent height of identifiable ethnic groups I work with.

[MacStoker]

germany to the right and UK to the left

you better have big strong folk in that situation

[aamirahmed]

As someone who is quite tall, roughly 6'8, I went to the Netherlands last year. I was extremely surprised when I saw many men roughly the same height as me and women who weren't that much shorter. I even met a dude at a cafe who was 7'1, and a woman who was 6'6!

[keithkool]

A lot of Dutch people live below sea level so growing in height is one of their survival options.

[shwmn]

I'll always be the 5'2'' dutch