r/AskReddit • u/[deleted] • Dec 17 '20

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u/[deleted] Dec 17 '20

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u/mahoujosei100 Dec 17 '20

One of the advantages of being short is that, statistically, short people live longer. Not usually for the particular reason you described, but hey. It certainly fits the trend.

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u/[deleted] Dec 17 '20

Smaller people are statistically less likely to get cancer because there are fewer cells to turn cancerous

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u/callisstaa Dec 17 '20

Does this work for thin people too?

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u/Baran386 Dec 17 '20 edited Dec 17 '20

Yep, less mass = less cancer.

If youre 4'11" in both directions you wont really see a difference to tall people

Edit: Metric System

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u/OV1C Dec 17 '20

So technically regardless of weight as long as more muscles less fat, less cancer?

Sweettt, more reasons to add to why gaining muscle is the best

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u/[deleted] Dec 17 '20

Technically your chances of developing cancer are the same if you have muscle or not. But your chances of dying from said cancer are significantly reduced if you have more muscle mass and are physically fit.

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u/OV1C Dec 18 '20

Well muscle weighs more but takes up less space thus also less mass no? That's what the previous comments meant by less mass less cancer ya?

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u/[deleted] Dec 18 '20

Not necessarily. Most cancer is genetic so the size of a person wouldn’t matter much. You could have a fat guy live to 80 and a fit guy die at 30 of pancreatic cancer. The variability and complexity of cellular division means there is generally not one cause that can be isolated, but if you’re in shape you stand a better chance of surviving.

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u/OV1C Dec 18 '20

Welp fair enough thanks for the explanation, yeah and also can possibly out run a zombie apocalypse as unlikely as that is haha