The mountains of giants: an anthropometric survey of male youths in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Mapping the Mountains of Giants: Anthropometric Data from the Western Balkans Reveal a Nucleus of Extraordinary Physical Stature in Europe

The inhabitants of the Dinaric Alps (former Yugoslavia and Albania) have long been known as people of impressive body height, but after World War II, there was a critical lack of data related to this phenomenon. This anthropological synthesis includes the measurements of 47,158 individuals (24,642 males and 22,516 females) from the period 2010−2018 and describes detailed regional differences in male stature in the Western Balkans. According to these data, young men from Montenegro (182.9 cm) are currently the tallest 18-year-olds in the world, surpassing their Dutch peers (182.4 cm), and 18-year-old boys from Dalmatia are even taller (183.7 cm) at a regional level. A continuous belt of extraordinary height means (>184 cm) stretches from the Adriatic coast of Dalmatia through Herzegovina to the central part of Montenegro. This article summarizes all the key socio-economic, nutritional, and genetic data, and offers possible explanations for this anthropological phenomenon. Since the remarkable height of the Dinaric populations cannot be connected with any commonly known environmental factor, the most probable hypothesis is genetic and links these physical characteristics with the local founder effect of Y haplogroup I-M170. Furthermore, given that both the level of socio-economic development and dietary protein quality are still sub-optimal, the local upward trend in body height has the potential to continue in the future.

Trajectories in Body Height, Body Weight, BMI, and Nutrition Status From 1979 to 1987: A Measurement-Based Analysis of 15,717 Male Adolescents From the Capital City of Montenegro

Introduction and Objective: This study aimed to consolidate body height and body weight, as well as the body mass index and nutrition status data of the entire male population of adolescents from Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro, in order to estimate trajectories in ahead mentioned variables from 1979 to 1987.

Methods: The sample includes 15,717 male adolescents divided into nine groups according to their year of birth. The sample of variables includes body height, body weight, and body mass index, as well as nutrition status, which was presented based on BMI standardized categories (underweight, normal weight, pre-obese, obese). The descriptive statistics were expressed as a mean and standard deviation for each variable, while post-hoc test with ANOVA were employed to explore differences between the means.

Results and Discussion: This study did not find significant differences in the body proportions of the measured group of subjects during the observed period, but some descriptive differences were observed that might be of interest for further analysis, especially when it comes to nutritional status.

Conclusions: The novelty and the original contribution of this study is reflected in the fact that descriptive data from the second half of the 20th century have been published, which can significantly help to follow the secular trend of one of the tallest nations in the world from the beginning of the 20th century—Montenegro—which has specific body proportions.

Body height and its estimation utilizing foot length measurements in Montenegrin adolescents: a national survey

Introduction

Background: the purpose of this research was to determine a regression equation for the estimation of stature based on foot length measurements. Methods: this research was carried out in 1,001 subjects (504 male and 497 female) from the population of Montenegrin adolescents. The stature and foot length measurements were taken according to the ISAK protocol, and the data were analyzed statistically. A linear regression analysis determined the prediction of foot length for the criterion variable of body height at a significance level of p < 0.05. These relations are presented in the form of a scatter diagram. We obtained the coefficient of determination, multiple correlation coefficients, a partial correlation coefficient, the regression, a t-test and a standardized beta coefficient. Results: the results of this research study confirmed that foot length reliably predicts stature in Montenegrin adolescents of both genders, and revealed a very useful finding for physical anthropologists and experts from related fields. Conclusions: it was confirmed that there is a correlation between foot length and body height (males: 41.9 %, females: 44.3 %). Therefore, foot length has proven to be a reliable predictor on the basis of which actual body height can be estimated. Keywords.

Nutritional and socio-economic predictors of adult height in 152 world populations

Height is one of the most sensitive indicators of well-being because it combines the external influences of nutrition, economic wealth, health care, social equality, and other important socio-economic factors. The aim of this ecological study was to compare actual values of male and female height from 152 populations (except sub-Saharan Africa) with the mean supply of 47 food items from the FAOSTAT database (1995-2013) and mean values of seven socio-economic indicators (1995-2013). This comparison shows that economic wealth at the country level is only a mediocre correlate of physical growth because it is only loosely associated with the quality of nutrition and it does not reflect the social distribution of wealth. In a multiple regression model, the best predictors of stature are protein sources of the best and worst quality, and total fertility (which critically influences the amount of resources expended per child). In summary, these findings indicate that irrespective of crude economic statistics, the choice of specific nutrient sources and small family size are crucial factors determining the optimal physical development of children. Based on our data, we also believe that current international dietary recommendations regarding protein intake and protein quality would deserve serious re-evaluation.

Anthropometry in the immunotherapy of cutaneous and ocular melanomas

The height of the adult individual is a balance of the expression of some genetic factors (especially the Y-M 170 haplotype of the Y chromosome) and the environment (nutrition and morbidity during childhood). Higher height is associated with a low risk of developing coronary heart disease, hypertension, gastroesophageal reflux, diaphragmatic hernia, but with a higher risk for atrial fibrillation, venous thromboembolism, intervertebral disc pathology, vasculitis and cancer. The research consisted of a retrospective observational study on patients who received immunotherapy (IT) with nivolumab for cutaneous and ocular melanoma neoplasms. We intended to highlight the associations between the duration of immunotherapy and sex profiles, age, anthropometric data (height, weight). Even though the number of available cases was relatively small (42), an inverse association between the body mass index of the subjects and the duration of immunotherapy could be proved, a more expressed association in case of male patients.

Evolutionary Strategies for Body Size

Humans show marked variation in body size around the world, both within and among populations. At present, the tallest people in the world are from the Netherlands and the Balkan countries, while the shortest populations are central African Pygmies. There are genetic, genetic plasticity, developmental, and environmental bases for size variation in Homo sapiens from the recent past and the present. Early populations of Homo species also have shown considerable size variation. Populations from the present and the past are also marked by sexual dimorphism, which, itself, shows group variation. There is abundant evidence for the effects of limited food and disease on human growth and resultant adult body size. This environmental influence has been reflected in "secular trends" (over a span of years) in growth and adult size from socioeconomic prosperity or poverty (availability of resources). Selective and evolutionary advantages of small or large body size also have been documented. Heritability for human height is relatively great with current genome-wide association studies (GWAS) identifying hundreds of genes leading to causes of growth and adult size variation. There are also endocrinological pathways limiting growth. An example is the reduced tissue sensitivity to human growth hormone (HGH) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) in Philippine and African hunter-gatherer populations. In several short-statured hunter-gatherer populations (Asian, African, and South American), it has been hypothesized that short life expectancy has selected for early maturity and truncated growth to enhance fertility. Some island populations of humans and other mammals are thought to have been selected for small size because of limited resources, especially protein. The high-protein content of milk as a staple food may contribute to tall stature in East African pastoral peoples. These and other evolutionary questions linked to life history, male competition, reproduction, and mobility are explored in this paper.