Health and Nutrition in the Preindustrial Era: Insights from a Millennium of Average Heights in Northern Europe

摘要: This essay places the debate over human welfare during industrialization in context of very long-term economic developments by examining an important aspect living standards--health and nutrition--since Middle Ages. I use average stature determined from military records along with a neglected source, skeletal data. Average heights fell 173.4 centimeters early Ages to low 165.8 seventeenth eighteenth centuries. decline 7.6 exceeds factor two any downturns found several countries that have been studied. Moreover, recovery levels achieved was not attained until twentieth century. The paper links height climate deterioration; growing inequality; urbanization expansion trade commerce, which facilitated spread diseases; global diseases associated European colonization; conflicts or wars state building religion. Because it is reasonable believe greater exposure pathogens accompanied industrialization, there evidence moderation, increasing efficiency agriculture inter-regional international foodstuffs, plausible link gains began century dietary improvements.