A recent report in the British Journal of Urology International showed that, in the past 29 years, the average length of a penis has risen dramatically. It is the sort of discovery that has sparked excitement and controversy, leaving the vast majority wondering what the change could be and what the implications would be for a man and for society in general.
The study, led by David Veale, professor at King’s College London, synthesised data from 17 different studies published between 1985 and 2013. They included measurements of more than 15,000 men, of all nations and races, from 17 to 91 years of age. These results showed that the average length of a flaccid penis climbed from 3.7 inches to 3.9 inches, and the average length of an erect penis climbed from 5.1 inches to 5.2 inches.
This might not sound like a significant shift, but since the studies were measured in different ways, it is hard to draw direct comparisons. Also, the researchers did not compare the penises of different sizes, so it isn’t clear whether the increase is across the board or just within specific size ranges.
And why are the penises growing longer over the past 29 years?
Diet
Changing diet might be one reason that the penis has grown in size over the past 29 years. More specifically, the availability of nutrient-rich foods has dramatically increased over this timescale as agriculture, food production and transport continue to evolve. As a result, malnutrition has declined and health and wellbeing improved in general.
It’s no secret that a healthy diet plays a vital role in sexual health and functioning. Specifically, a diet containing ample amounts of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins has been found to promote healthy erectile function. These foods contain the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants necessary for the growth and regulation of wholesome blood vessels, which play an integral role in creating and sustaining an erection.
Moreover, eating a diet rich in processed foods and unhealthy fats is known to impair sex function. These foods are prone to cardiovascular disease, affecting the circulation to the penis and reducing the ability to obtain or sustain an erection.
Given the role that diet plays in maintaining normal sexual function, the generalised rise in diet in the past 29 years might be responsible for a larger penis. But we still need more studies to prove this theory.
Health
Another reason why the penis size has grown over the past 29 years is health. More specifically, most chronic conditions – including heart disease, diabetes and cancer – have declined in the past several decades. It is probably a result of many different reasons, including medical advances, public health and lifestyle choices.
Even chronic illness can impair sexual function. For instance, heart disease can also cause the loss of blood flow to the penis, which makes it difficult to form or maintain an erection. Diabetes damages the blood vessels and nerves in the penis, which results in erectile dysfunction. And cancer therapies – radiation therapy and surgery – can attack the penis and mess up sex.
Because of the detrimental effects of chronic illness on sexual health and function, perhaps the greater general health improvements of the past 29 years have accounted for the size of the penis. But it would take further work to verify this hypothesis.
Reproductive Strategies
A third possible reason for the penis’ swell over the past 29 years is evolutionary shifts in reproductive methods. In particular, it appears that large penises give males an evolutionary advantage over females when it comes to mating.
In one research, women consistently rated men with larger penises as more attractive and better partners and fathers. Perhaps this is because a larger penis is believed to indicate optimal health and genetic fitness. Furthermore, a larger penis might offer women more sexual satisfaction and possibly lead to higher conception rates.
As larger penises can confer evolutionary advantages, males may have been subconsciously breeding for them for the past 29 years. But it would require further studies to confirm this hypothesis.
So why does this matter? Dr David Veale, the lead author of the paper, thinks this discovery may have positive implications for men’s self-image and physique. Men can feel insecure about their penis size, and this research might give a little confidence that they aren’t the norm. Conversely, it may even lead to inflated expectations and demands on men to sport larger penises, giving rise to body dysmorphia and other mental problems.
In addition, this research also stresses the need for media and society to portray men’s bodies accurately and realistically. Media portrays unrealistic and idealized versions of men’s bodies, which is detrimental to male body image and insecurities. This research questions the notion of the bigger the better, and advocates acceptance and diversity in body type.
Some who criticized the study believe that the larger penis might not be real at all and is probably due to men overestimating their sizes or scientists trying to measure things differently. Others say that this is not a large enough study to make any inferences and there needs to be more research to support this conclusion.
That is to say, the study was widely debated, but nobody knows for certain why penises have grown longer in the past 29 years. This might be useful for some men’s self-esteem, perhaps, but not if we’re worried about the size of the penis, and if we embrace body and size diversity. More studies will be needed to be sure of these conclusions and what they might mean for the individual and society.
