Height Indicates Health and Inequality

Population height serves as a critical indicator of health, nutrition, and societal inequalities. Children and teenagers often experience stunted growth due to insufficient food, frequent illness, or overexertion. Notably, population height reflects general conditions, while elites typically maintain their stature, highlighting the disparity between nobility and peasantry. A significant height difference of five to seven centimeters suggests stark inequalities. Additionally, the measurement of femurs, being the most resilient bones, allows for reliable assessments of population stature changes across generations and regions, reinforcing the connection between health, nutrition, and social stratification.