Why modern teenagers look much older than their age?

Today’s 15-year-old boys and girls frequently appear to be 20 or even 30 years old, as you have certainly seen. They typically act in accordance with this. “Why is this taking place?”

This question has been addressed by scientists from many different disciplines. And this is what they discovered.

Acceleration

The “growing” of humanity as a whole has accelerated noticeably over the previous 100 to 150 years, in addition to the younger generation’s development. So, for instance, guys today who are 20 to 25 years old are on average 8 cm taller than males who lived 100 years ago. We are about a head taller than our ancestors today, and modern girls and boys can experience puberty as early as age 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. It 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 “lag behind” by about 1 year. Aging in modern people also occurs later than in their ancestors. But this is due, first of all, to the achievements of medicine and improving the quality of nutrition.

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According to statistics, the average age of onset of human aging is 65 years. However, these figures may vary from country to country. For example, in Japan, which is famous for its high standard of living, old age comes to 76 years. But in Papua New Guinea – already at 45 and a half. Due to early puberty in girls, the reproductive period has greatly increased. Now, even at the age of 40-50, women are able to give birth to children. According to statistics, menopause occurs on average at age 50 and above.

Over the years, even the physique of a person has changed. Growth increased, torso stretched. The girls have greatly reduced the pelvis. According to scientists, this happened as a result of evolution. Many modern women are accustomed to facilitating childbirth with the help of a cesarean section, as a result of which the body begins to adapt to new conditions.

Impact of technical advances

There are many versions of what launched the acceleration process, and it is impossible to say which one is correct. The most common is the theory of the impact of technological advances. Here’s exactly what she says: due to electricity, daylight hours increased; due to heating, the average temperature in the rooms has increased; accelerating the development of medicine. All of the above factors have led to the fact that the human body has ceased to fight an aggressive environment, as it was many years ago.

Now he throws all his strength into development, which contributes to less wear and tear on the human body. Arguing with this, of course, is pointless, but let’s get acquainted with the arguments of adherents of other theories.

Influence of chemicals

According to this version, the accelerated growth of mankind occurred as a result of the impact on people of harmful chemicals that are contained in almost all modern products, hygiene products, and cosmetics. In particular, scientists blame endocrine disruptors (English Endocrine disruptors, or EDCs) for this. These are substances that, when ingested, act as growth hormones.

And although this theory seems quite reasonable, no concrete evidence of its veracity has been found to date.

The influence of food

Another reasonable explanation for acceleration. This theory is also called nutritional. Its supporters are sure that with the improvement in the quality of nutrition, the growth of people has gone up a lot. This is attributed to more frequent consumption of meat, compared to the 50-60s, and the presence of vitamins such as B9, B6, and B12 in it.

For example, in the USSR, 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 general, the data for the world is as follows: in the middle of the 20th century, a person consumes 23 kg of meat per year, in 2014 – 43 kg. Of course, this does not mean that if you start eating meat every day, then in a year you will reach the size of a giant. But the fact that this product contains substances necessary for the growth and development of a young organism is true.

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Which of these theories to adhere to is up to you. Just like that, good or bad. Some people evaluate the acceleration process positively, others say that it has led to the emergence of many social problems. For example, in modern children, as a result of early puberty, there is practically no “normal” childhood. Many girls become “women” at the age of 11, feel like adults, and are attracted to the opposite sex, while their peers 30-50 years ago at this age were still playing with dolls.