Does 'Short' Equal Diabetic?

Filed in archive Research on July 13, 2006

It's bad enough that we have to push the car seat as far forward as it will go, and remain the last picked for a game of basketball. But now short people have to fear Type 2 diabetes, too?

According to a
new study, we do. Apparently, 'short' people, and people with 'short' legs are at a higher risk than their statuesque counterparts of developing the disease.

The length of a person's legs is an indicator of childhood nutrition, which may have long-lasting effects on health, note Dr. Keiko Asao and colleagues from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. Short leg length and low leg length-to-height ratio are two indicators of suboptimal childhood development.

Well, then.

Though a definite pattern of short legs=diabetes was established in both women and men, the statistics were not high enough to warrant any significance. Which is scientific speak for, Here's another study just to freak you out.

What do you think: a possible diabetes breakthrough, or junk science?