would add large amounts of garbage, carbon dioxide and other pollutants to our landfills, atmosphere
and water supplies. If we assume
housing, furniture, and transportation vehicles are made proportionately larger to accommodate bigger people, the demand for wood,
metals, minerals and plastics would
increase by several hundred million
tons.
should have better longevity compared to early maturers. However,
tall people need to keep their weight
low, eat a healthful diet and exercise regularly.
Most people are unaware that
as the body gets taller and maintains the same proportions, weight
increases as the cube of the height
increase. For example, a 10%
increase in height increases weight
by 33%. Surface area does not
increase as fast as weight e.g. surface area would increase by 21%.
The reason for the disproportionately larger increase in body weight
with height is due to the fact that
when we get taller, we also get
wider and thicker. As a result, a
population averaging 10% taller,
increases demands on our annual
food, water and energy needs by
33%. For example, if a population
of 300 million Americans increased
by 10%, we would require 50 million more tons of food, 30 trillion
gallons of water, and 16 quadrillion BTUs (BTU-the amount of heat
energy needed to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one
degree F) of energy. Obviously, this
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