Thomas T. Samaras, Reventropy Associates - "The Truth about Your Height" - First study on how shorter height and smaller body size promote slower aging and greater longevity

Editorial Article

Important Publications

Many papers have provided reasons for why women live longer than men. These include XX vs. XY chromosomes, sex hormones, and better care of their health. These factors certainly can affect male and female health, but none of these factors has been proven to explain the actual difference that exists in life expectancy between the sexes. However, a factor commonly ignored is the size difference between men and women. Past research has shown that differences in male and female height and associated life expectancy are related by similar but inverse percentages (such as 8% taller and 9% shorter life expectancy). A new paper provides comprehensive evidence that supports early findings that shorter height is a major factor in explaining why women live longer. To test the inverse relation between height and life expectancy, a list of 30 developed countries was used to compare height and life expectancy differences between men and women. The results showed men were 7.8% taller and had an 8.5% lower life expectancy. These results are similar to previous study findings in 1992, 2003, and 2009. They are also consistent with scores of studies showing shorter or smaller body size is related to lower mortality and greater longevity. VIEW HERE

The above findings are consistent with over 100 studies showing shorter, smaller individuals tend to have lower chronic disease and mortality and live longer. Numerous biological and related factors support these findings.

Observations on Body Size by Other Scientists

Observations by various scientists on human height or body size are given below. Only a few are presented out of a list of 119 similar comments.

“...the smaller the mean height at age 18 in a province, the higher the chance for people living there to reach high chronological ages.” My note: based on about 1.3 million deaths.

Source: Holzenberger et al. Decelerated growth and longevity in men. Arch Gerontol Geriatr 1991, 13, 89-101

“It seems that being bigger, and presumably better, comes with very high costs.” [The costs he is referring to are higher levels of cancer and heart disease.]

Source: p. 102 Campbell & Campbell. The China Study. 2006, Benbella, Texas.

“Smaller individuals of the same species, including humans, also tend to live longer.” p.572

Source: de Magalhaes JP and Faragher RGA. Cell divisions and mammalian aging: integrative biology insights from genes that regulate longevity. BioEssays 2008, 30, 567-578.

Aims of "Reventropy Associates"

Reventropy Associates was established in 1993 to focus on the ramifications of a world population that is constantly increasing in height and body weight. While many researchers have delved into specific areas of human height and growth, none has been devoted to the systematic evaluation of this critical area of human civilization.

Tom Samaras founded Reventropy Associates and has worked with Harold Elrick, MD, Lowell H. Storms, PhD and Jonn Desnoes, MD, PhD, OMD, Andrzej Bartke, PhD, David Rollo, Ph.D, Stephen Marson, PhD, John Lillis, PhD, and Geoffrey Cannon (former Director of Science, World Cancer Research Fund) to provide critical analyses of the various impacts of larger body size on our society and the earth.He has focused on how our society promotes larger human size through nutritional and health systems. Tom and his associates have examined the impact of maternal and child nutrition, birth weight, rapid growth, early sexual maturation and attaining maximum height on long-term health and longevity. The findings of his research have been published in numerous papers world wide and two books are shown below: