

Why am I the short fat one? - alexandros
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8280431.stm

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electromagnetic
You lose about 1/2 inch of body height throughout the day through vertebrae
compression. Their height difference could simply be down to him being in the
US for a long period of time, I know having been to the US and currently
living in Canada that any trip back to the UK means major sleep problems, I'm
up either majorly late or direly early. Could it simply be that he gets up far
earlier than his brother (British culture is notably more 9-5 than NA culture,
where 7-3 is highly noticeable, at least here in Ontario)? Would the increase
weight mean faster compression of his vertebrae or even excess compression
compared to his twin?

Not to mention posture and everything else, including flat-footedness (which
IIRC can attribute a decrease of about 1/2 inch in height due to a posture
shift), which again could have been induced by excess weight. Both twins could
be genetically prone to flat feet, but the shorter one simply gained weight
and increase the strain leading to a collapse earlier in life.

Perhaps this is DNA methylation, but I'd bet anything that a mixture of diet,
exercise and physical health are greater contributing factors to divergent
physical characteristics in identical twins. I mean one simply taking a
disliking to milk through childhood, or getting repeatedly put in detention
could have a large enough effect over time to decrease physical height by less
than an inch.

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gojomo
I'm not sure I understand your first paragraph; are you suggesting North
Americans are in general -- (a) awake longer; or (b) on-their-feet more --
than UK residents?

(And aren't 'sleep problems' on trips back to GMT sufficiently explained by
jetlag?)

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diN0bot
> "It is that I wonder how many other things I am missing out on. "

he could equally wonder all the things he has going for him, or rather that
his brother missed out on. i understand the impulse to believe criticism over
compliments, especially from oneself, but a little more thought should dispell
silly impulses. i expect more from thoughtful blog posts.

(i have a non-identical twin. i feel lucky and thankful--twins are the best!!)

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biohacker42
Less fluff more facts: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DNA_methylation>

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cvg
I felt that article and the video were a bit fluffy too. That ice test was
hardly scientific. I imagine competitive nature may play more of a role than
pain tolerance - at least that would be the case for me.

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tetha
I guess if you are constantly wondering why you are a tiny bit shorter than
your brother, then you should get a hobby or a doctor. Logical or, there.

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zandorg
What definition of 'short' is 183CM?

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bd
There are some regions with average male height up to 190 cm.

 _"In the late nineteenth century, the Netherlands was a land renowned for its
short population, but today it has the second tallest average in the world,
with young men averaging 183 cm (6'0 ft) tall and in Europe are only shorter
than the peoples of the Dinaric Alps (a section largely within the former
Yugoslavia), where males average 185.6 cm (6 ft 1.1 in) tall. The Dinarians
and Dutch are now well known in Europe for extreme tallness. In Africa, the
Maasai, Dinka and Tutsi populations are known for their tallness, with some
reports indicating an average male height of up to 190 cm (almost 6 ft 3)."_

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_height>

Author's surname suggest Dutch origin.

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JeffL
So A/B testing has proved that the US is inferior to the UK in these two ways?

