Do people live longer if they're taller?

A tall person is not necessarily likely to live longer than a short person, according to various studies. In fact, several studies have indicated that taller individuals may have shorter life spans.

One study of Japanese men conducted by the University of Hawaii-Kuakini Medical Center determined that the shortest individuals in its test group tended to live the longest. These researchers believe that short stature may be connected to the protective form of the longevity gene, FOXO3.

Another study published in the Western Journal of Medicine in 2002 notes that traditionally shorter populations such as southern Europeans have distinctly longer life spans than their northern counterparts.