Americans stopped growing in the 1950s, and with the tremendous rise in obesity, we're fatter, too. What's stunting our growth? Could it be junk food? Hmm ... Ray Kroc did open his first McDonald's in 1955. Now we're a fast food nation.

John Komlos, an economics professor at the University of Munich in Germany, has extensively studied the historical growth patterns of nations around the world. His 2004 paper, "From the Tallest to (One of) the Fattest: The Enigmatic Fate of the American Population in the 20th Century" revealed while America's growth halted in the 1950s, the developed nations of Europe had a huge growth spurt. Here are a few nuggets to ponder:

• At the end of World War II, the average Dutch male was 5 foot 7, about 3 inches shorter than the average American male. Fast forward to today and Dutch males are the tallest people in the world, standing at an average height of 6 foot 1 inch.
• Scandinavian males are just behind the Dutch, in second place for height.
• Genetics determine an individual's height in relation to the national norm, but external factors determine a population's height.
• Komlos points the finger at two external culprits for America's more recent growth stall -- a widening divide between rich and poor in the U.S., along with a lack of universal health care. Komlos' research has not established a definitive causal link on these points, but he has shown that the weath and health care in countries such as the Netherlands and Scandinavian nations is more evenly distributed. Worldwide, U.S. ranks near the bottom on even distribution of wealth, and politically, universal health care is a dirty word.
• Komlos believes shorter U.S. heights may be connected with our widening waistlines.
• Analysis of recent height data indicates Americans may be growing again, but this trend is bypassing black females.

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