Why are Western people taller than Asians?

Question

Why are Western people taller than Asians?

Answer 1

The same reason Norther Europeans have fair complexions, and people who live near the equator, have darker skin.  The same reason that some dogs are furry and small and others are  tall and have short hair.  

It's all genetics and evolution.  If a species needs something to survive - it will develop it or perish.  

Siggy

Answer 2

Like giraffes, they like to pick the fruit, high off the trees!

Answer 3

Difference in height are primarily the result of frequency of allelic distributions in a given subset of a species.

Answer 4

I was discussing this question with a dietician and she said if a Chinese person was shorter than a Westerner it was because of his genetics. His parents must've been shorter. But if the nation on a whole is shorter then its because of poor diet.

However, in certain ethnic groups like the Mbuti Pygmies of Central Africa, they're shorter because they mature much quicker than other peoples due to their hostile environment

Answer 5

I live in an area with a large Asian population. I find most of the Asians who are actually from Asia, as in, grew up there, tend to be shorter and slender, while the Asians born here are of a build more similar to caucasian Americans.

So my conclusion is, diet.

Answer 6

I agree, mostly it's because of diet.

Answer 7

yes because of its down to the mostly thats why western people are taller than asians but asians are getting taller now because there diet is getting better

Answer 8

How dare you! That is factually untrue! Race has nothing to do with height. It is the genetics within each of us that determine our characteristics.

Answer 9

Diet mostly...

Answer 10

It is not about diet.  It is about genetics.  Clearly diet can affect height and many modern westerners are taller than their parents simply because they ate better but pigmies are shorter than "Asians" due to genetically inherited traits and it wouldn't matter if they ate 10 times as much, they wouldn't get much taller.

Answer 11

Diet. Chinese are now 5'10" = American average height.