How well you take care of yourself as an adult can affect the loss of height that comes with age, according to a new study from economists at the University of Southern California, Harvard and Peking University. Their study, involving data gathered on 17,708 adults in China, is the first to show that lifestyle choices made as an adult can influence how much height is lost with age. It also found that the more height lost, the greater the likelihood of performing poorly on cognitive tests for short term memory, basic arithmetic and awareness of the date; that city-dwellers were less likely to lose height than those who lived in rural areas; and that more education correlates with less age-related height loss. The researchers noted that an age-related increase in body fat and decreases in bone mass affect height. They also identified certain kinds of arthritis, inflammation of spine joints, and osteoporosis as contributing factors in losing vertical inches. Other studies have shown that these conditions are often associated with lifestyle choices including diet, exercise and smoking, the investigators said. The study was published in the April 2013 issue of American Economic Journal: Applied Economics.
Source:
John Strauss et al, "Health, Height, Height Shrinkage, and SES at Older Ages: Evidence from China." American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, DOI: 10.1257/app.5.2.86
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