1. Eats Less
    Karlin Karlin Canada says:
    May 29, 2011 at 3:48 PM

    Quote:
      "Taller people are also less likely to become dehydrated; they lose less moisture due to their smaller surface area in comparison to body mass."

      150 lbs, 6 feet tall Vs 150 lbs, 5 feet tall
    - the shorter one has less surface area in comparison to body mass.

       Is there an error in one of our calculations?

    Furthermore, I, as a TALL person, simply do NOT eat nearly as much food as even the shortest person I know. That puts your "food consumption, better adaptation" idea in question too.

      Sorry to be so negative, but it really seems your thesis is built on assumptions that have too many variables to be of any real factual value.

      My older brother is 6" shorter than I am. He recently retired as CEO of Trans Canada Pipelines ["Hal"]; I however and a useless piece of shit, on disabiklity and addicted to morphine for chronic pain [pains made worse by being tall?]

    But thanks for stimulating some thought!!

    Reply
    • Bigger people definitely eat more
      Thomas Samaras Thomas Samaras United States says:
      June 28, 2011 at 8:30 PM

      You need to compare taller and shorter people of the same body type or proportions. If you do that, taller people weigh a lot more in terms of their surface area. Thus they lose less water in proportion to their body weight as well as less body heat.

      A number of studies have found that taller people eat more. You can't get and maintain a bigger body without costs. One of these costs is the need for more water and food. However, tall  individuals may have lower metabolic rates than the average short person. In this case, they may require fewer calories but they still need more minerals and vitamins to meet the needs of their larger bodies.

      Our society prefers taller people for leadership positions but that does not mean all successful or wealthy people are tall. David Murdock is 5'4 and is one of the richest men in the world. Mayor Bloomberg is also quite wealthy and relatively short.

      Reply
The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of News Medical.
Post a new comment
(Logout)
Post

Terms

While we only use edited and approved content for Azthena answers, it may on occasions provide incorrect responses. Please confirm any data provided with the related suppliers or authors. We do not provide medical advice, if you search for medical information you must always consult a medical professional before acting on any information provided.

Your questions, but not your email details will be shared with OpenAI and retained for 30 days in accordance with their privacy principles.

Please do not ask questions that use sensitive or confidential information.

Read the full Terms & Conditions.

Provide Feedback