If you took an average UK family and lined up children, parents, grandparents and great-grandparents, you would probably notice a distinct shift in height from one generation to the next, especially in the male line.
During the course of the 20th century, the average height in the UK rose by nearly 4 inches (10 centimetres) on average, as living standards shifted, childhood starvation disappeared as a public health threat and common infectious diseases were eradicated.
