The health facts you need to know about being taller

In some respects, being tall is like winning the wellbeing lottery. Studies have shown that adults of above-average height are less prone to heart disease, while widely enjoying social advantages including better academic outcomes and higher wages, both of which are linked to better health.

However, there’s also evidence to suggest that taller people have a shorter lifespan. Certain health conditions affect tall men and women disproportionately, including several types of cancer, joint issues and bone fractures.

As a pretty tall person (6'2"), I found myself wondering whether I should factor these potential problems into my nutrition. Many of us tailor our diets to suit our age, levels of exercise or life stages such as menopause – so should we extend the same thinking to our height?

The tall and short of it: facts on human height

• The average adult height in the UK is around 5'9" for men and 5'4" for women.
• BMI calculations are often said to mislabel tall, slim people as overweight, as the formula used does not account well for how the body scales with height.
• Shoe size is roughly proportionate to height. It can be tricky to find shoes in UK sizes 12+ for men and 9+ for women.
• The standard door height in England and Wales is 6'6". Very tall people are forced to stoop.
• Most people are at their tallest early in the morning. Gravity compresses cartilage in the spine throughout the day, which can leave us around half an inch shorter by the end of the day.
• Do tall people need to eat more?

The short answer is yes, but there are caveats…

“In absolute terms, tall people are more likely to need more energy (and thus to eat more) to maintain their weight than shorter people,” says nutritionist Holly Dunn. “However, how much a person (tall or short) needs to eat depends on their overall body composition, activity levels and additional factors influencing their metabolism, such as their age, genetics, diet, hormones and even the unique composition of their gut microbiota.”

So, if you’re tall, you may well benefit from eating a higher-calorie diet, but it’s important to consider the nutrients making up your meals. This is especially true given that visual signs of excessive fat accumulation such as a high waist circumference can be less noticeable on taller people.

For Mike Tunstall, director of The Tall Person’s Club of GB & Ireland, well-considered dietary choices have made a big difference. “I’m 6'7" and around 140kg, but at my heaviest I was 180kg,” he says. “There’ve been times in my life where I’ve consciously eaten less, while at other times I’ve eaten what I wished. Becoming aware of low-carb or keto diets and following some of that thinking has made me a lot healthier.”

Below, we’ll discuss some of the health issues that disproportionately affect taller people, and how certain foods could potentially help to manage these risks. However, it’s important to note that a balanced, nutritious diet and a healthy lifestyle – rather than just focusing on a few specific nutrients – are the foundations of better health.

Which health risks come with being tall, and how can diet help?

Cancer

Taller people appear more prone to certain types of cancer including colon and breast cancer and leukaemia, with cancer risk increasing by as much as 16% with every additional 4" of height over 5 feet. It has been suggested that this is because tall bodies tend to have a higher number of cells, bringing a greater risk of mutations.

You can’t do much about your cell count, but you might try following some increasingly well-established dietary dos and don’ts that seem to influence cancer risk. For example, it’s advisable to avoid high levels of acrylamide (a natural chemical byproduct of burning toast or thoroughly roasting potatoes, for example). I’m sorry to say that the same goes for carcinogenic processed meats such as bacon.

Holly Dunn advises that certain foods have been associated with reduced cancer risk, but she warns that there are often limitations to health studies linking foods to life-changing outcomes.

“We must be mindful that association does not equal causation,” she says. "But, with this in mind, foods that are associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer include fibre-rich whole plant foods such as wholegrains, beans, lentils, fruits and vegetables, possibly owing to the ability of fibre-rich foods to increase stool bulk.”

Meanwhile, eating more foods that are naturally rich in carotenoids may help to lower the risk of oestrogen receptor-negative breast cancers. “Carotenoids are a family of yellow, orange and red pigments found in colourful plant foods like carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, butternut squash, dark leafy green vegetables, cooked tomatoes, cantaloupe and mango,” says Dunn. “These foods provide antioxidants, polyphenols and other phytochemicals that protect cells from damage and support overall health.”

Joint issues

There is some debate – and a lack of research – concerning the link between height and joint health. Where some studies appear to confirm that taller people are more likely to suffer from joint issues, others reach contrary conclusions.

As a survivor of bilateral knee replacement, Tunstall has much to say on the topic. “Generally, tall people are more prone to musculoskeletal issues, and that’s mostly because of the forces going through the joints,” he says. “We’re trying to urge more research into joint disease and height. Anecdotally, I can tell you that many of our members who are in their 50s, 60s or 70s have had joints treated and repaired.”

Good Health by Good Food’s Kerry Torrens recommends eating a nutrient-dense diet for better joint health, including plenty of protein for rebuilding connective tissue, omega-3 fatty acids (found in oily fish and walnuts) to reduce inflammation, and vitamins D and K.

Bone injuries

The bigger they come, the harder they fall – and the more likely they are to fracture a bone. It appears that taller people are more at risk of bone injuries when they take a tumble, possibly due in part to differences in bone porosity, as well as the effects of gravity.

“It’s partially because you’re falling a greater distance and you might be proportionally heavier, but another factor is that you have long levers,” says Tunstall. “If your bones are longer, the forces exerted through and on them, and on the joints, are exponentially higher than on someone who’s shorter.”

Reducing impact where possible, for example by wearing appropriate protective clothing while playing contact sports, is clearly key to minimising bone injuries. Promoting good bone health through targeted nutrition is also important, and with this in mind, you might choose to prioritise calcium-rich foods such as milk, cheese, yogurt or tofu, as well as vitamin D, which is crucial to calcium absorption.

Peripheral insensate neuropathy

A type of nerve damage affecting the extremities including hands, arms and especially feet, peripheral insensate neuropathy appears to be significantly more widespread among taller people. It is characterised by a loss of sensitivity in the affected areas.

This condition often affects people with diabetes, and it appears that its severity may increase with height in this population. If you are not diabetic, it’s one of the reasons to pay attention to controlling type 2 diabetes risk factors such as sugar intake, where possible. If you do have diabetes, peripheral neuropathy is one of the risks you can aim to manage through glucose control and other measures.

Overgrowth conditions

Rather than resulting from a tall build, overgrowth conditions can cause a person to grow exceptionally tall. These conditions, including Marfan syndrome and Sotos syndrome, are typically genetic.

Dietary advice to help people manage the adverse effects of these conditions is scarce, and often quite generic. The Marfan Trust advises eating “a balanced healthy diet, rich in vitamins and minerals” in order to encourage the production of connective tissue.

Support for exceptionally tall people

Being tall is often viewed as advantageous, and perhaps this is why some of the difficulties that can come with above-average height are widely overlooked.

“Very tall people have been told they’re abnormal, so they’ve got to be able to build resilience,” says Tunstall. “You’ve got to learn and inform yourself, and at the Tall Persons Club we try to help each other do that through newsletters, social media groups and in-person meet-ups.”

“It’s sometimes scary the way other people treat you. For many of us, our least favourite thing is when someone looks at you and says, 'gosh, you’re tall',” he adds. “What I would say to tall readers is that it can take a while to come to terms with your height. I got to the point where I started enjoying it around my 20s or 30s.”

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