Why modern teenagers look much older than their age: scientists ' opinion
You've probably noticed that modern 15-year-old boys and girls often look 20 or even 30 years old! And they usually behave accordingly.
"Why is this happening?" you may ask. Scientists from various fields tried to answer this question. And here's what they found out.
Acceleration
The models in the photo are 13 years old
Over the past 100-150 years, there has been not only a noticeable acceleration in the development of the younger generation, but also the "growth" of humanity as a whole. For example, the height of modern men aged 20-25 years has increased by an average of 8 cm in comparison with men who lived 100 years ago. We today surpass our ancestors by about a head, and puberty in modern girls and boys sometimes occurs even at the age of 10! For comparison, in the 1860s, this figure was 16.5.
The final formation of the body in girls and boys occurs at the age of 16 and 18, respectively. This used to happen at 20 and 22. In fairness, it is worth noting that the guys are still slightly inferior to the girls in development – they are "behind" by about 1 year.
Aging in modern humans also occurs later than in their ancestors. But this is primarily due to the achievements of medicine and improving the quality of nutrition. According to statistics, the average age of the beginning of aging is 65 years.
However, these indicators may vary from country to country. For example, in Japan, which is famous for its high standard of living, old age occurs at 76 years. But in Papua New Guinea is already 45 and a half years old.
Due to early puberty in girls, the reproductive period has also greatly increased. Now, even in 40-50 years, women are able to give birth to children. According to statistics, menopause occurs on average at 50 years and above.
Over the years, even the human physique has changed. The height increased, the torso stretched out. The girls ' pelvis was greatly reduced. According to scientists, this happened as a result of evolution. Many modern women are used to making it easier for themselves to give birth by caesarean section, as a result of which the body begins to adapt to new conditions.
Impact of technological advances
There are many versions about what started the acceleration process, and it is impossible to say which of them is correct. The most common theory is that of the impact of technological advances. That's exactly what it says:
All of the above factors have led to the fact that the human body has ceased to fight with an aggressive environment, as it was many years ago. Now he throws all his strength into development, which contributes to less wear and tear of the human body.
To argue with this, of course, is pointless, but let's get acquainted with the arguments of the adherents of other theories.
Effects of chemicals
According to this version, the accelerated growth of humanity occurred as a result of the influence of harmful chemicals on people, which are found in almost all modern products, hygiene products and cosmetics.
In particular, scientists blame this on endocrine disruptors (English: Endocrine disruptors, or EDCs). These are substances that, when ingested, act like growth hormones. And although this theory seems quite reasonable, concrete evidence of its veracity has not been found to date.
The influence of food
Another reasonable explanation for acceleration. This theory is also called nutritive. Its supporters believe that with the improvement in the quality of food, the growth of people has gone up strongly. This is associated with more frequent consumption of meat, in comparison with the 50-60s, and the presence of vitamins such as B9, B6 and B12 in it.
For example, according to statistics for 1965, there were about 37 kilograms of meat per capita. In 2013, the average Russian eats more than 73 kg. In the whole world, the data is as follows:
Of course, this does not mean that if you start eating meat every day, you will reach the size of a giant in a year. But the fact that this product contains substances necessary for the growth and development of a young body is true.
Which of these theories to adhere to is up to you. Just like whether it's good or bad.
Some people evaluate the acceleration process positively, while others say that it has led to many social problems. For example, in modern children, as a result of early puberty, there is practically no "normal" childhood. Many girls already at the age of 11 become "women", feel like adults, feel attracted to the opposite sex, while their peers 30-50 years ago at this age still played with dolls.
Keywords: Culture | Science | World | Youth | Teenagers | Children | Scientists | Society | Age | Species | Research