Physiology and Development: Why the West is Taller than the Rest

TY - JOUR

T1 - Physiology and Development

T2 - Why the West is Taller than the Rest

AU - Dalgaard, Carl-Johan Lars

AU - Strulik, Holger

PY - 2016/12/1

Y1 - 2016/12/1

N2 - We hypothesise that the timing of the fertility transition is an important determinant of comparative physiological development. In support, we provide a model of long-run growth that elucidates the links between population size, average body size and income during development. Industrialisation is shown to be accompanied by a reduction in family size and an intensification of nutrition per child. Early transition countries are therefore expected to be more developed today, economically and physiologically. Empirically, the timing of the fertility transition is strongly correlated with average body size across countries.

AB - We hypothesise that the timing of the fertility transition is an important determinant of comparative physiological development. In support, we provide a model of long-run growth that elucidates the links between population size, average body size and income during development. Industrialisation is shown to be accompanied by a reduction in family size and an intensification of nutrition per child. Early transition countries are therefore expected to be more developed today, economically and physiologically. Empirically, the timing of the fertility transition is strongly correlated with average body size across countries.

U2 - 10.1111/ecoj.12275

DO - 10.1111/ecoj.12275

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0013-0133

VL - 126

SP - 2292

EP - 2323

JO - Economic Journal

JF - Economic Journal

IS - 598

ER -