Dutch Height: DNA Beats Dairy

Across 7,884 birth-cohort observations in 146 countries, within-country increases in calories and animal protein raise height, but cross-country differences align far better with a height polygenic score. The Netherlands does not consume exceptional protein or dairy relative to peers like the U.S. or Spain, undermining the dietary myth. Genetics explains the persistent country-level height advantage left over after accounting for nutrition. — This challenges popular diet-based national stereotypes and pushes public health and media toward causal models that include genetic structure when explaining population traits.