A decline in Americans' health is likely a major factor in Americans shrinking. "Height is strongly influenced by the mother's nourishment during pregnancy and the child's during infancy ...

As we age, many of us notice that we begin to shrink, losing a few inches in height. This isn't just a trick of the eye—there ...

but the variation in height comes from snow and ice at the summit. The amount there depends on the wind and weather, and the researchers said that the shrink could have been caused by "lower ...