Capitalism makes people taller writes Ian Birrell:

• A century ago South Korean men ranked 150 on the list of tallest on the planet.
• Today they have risen 99 points to 51.
• The average South Korean woman is 1.62 meters – 20.2 centimeters (8 inches) taller than her counterpart a hundred years ago.
• Meanwhile a study of male North Korean defectors has found that they are up to 8 centimeters shorter than their southern brethren.
• The defectors are typically from the communist regime’s elite – it’s likely that the average North Korean is a lot shorter.

Read more on the Foundation for Economic Education.