Average Height of Men Reaches 11cm Since the 1870s

The average height of men has risen since the mid-19^th century by almost 11 centimeters, according to a study released Sunday.

Hundreds of thousands of men from 15 European countries were used as participants of the study.

The height of British men ate age 21 rose from 167.05 centimeters or five feet five inches in 1871 to 1875 to 177.37 centimeters or five feet ten inches.

A public health expert told the BBC News that height was a "useful barometer" but it was also crucial to focus on improving overall health.

The study which was published in the journal Oxford Economic Papers looked at data from sources including military records and modern population surveys from the 1870s to 1980 in 15 European countries.

Researchers involved in the study looked only at male height because there found very few historical data for women.

"There was no Darwinian explanation to the trend. People are surviving in the 20^th century who would have not survived in the 19^th," said Professor Tim Hatton of the University of Essex.

"Genes may commonly be seen as the main determinant of height, but although they explain the difference between individuals, they would not explain the trend seen in the research," he said.