Have you ever wished that you were just a little bit taller? Do you have an ideal height that you’re looking for when sizing up potential partners? You’re definitely not alone there. We recently surveyed over 1,000 people with a series of height-centric questions and were able to confirm some long-held beliefs about height, among them being the idea that many men and women would prefer to be a different height. Our study not only found that 60 percent of men and 49 percent of women wished to be taller, but it also found the respondents’ ideal height to be noticeably taller than the national averages. The average ideal height for women in our survey turned out to be 5’6” (2 inches more that the mean average height for American women), while the average ideal height for male participants was 6’0” (up from the mean average height of 5’9” for American men). With so much of our ability to meet new partners tied up in our own self-confidence, how are we supposed to enjoy a healthy love life when so many of us are consumed with changing one of the few aspects of our body image that we can’t even control?
As it turns out, taller people (especially men) tend to feel more confident about themselves. Of the male respondents who claim to be taller than most of their friends, almost 7 in 10 felt that they were desirable to potential sexual partners (compared to just 54 percent of male respondents who claimed to be the same height as their friends and less than 52 percent of males who claimed to be shorter than their friends). For men, this increase in positive body image didn’t just stop at how respondents felt that they were perceived by potential partners; taller respondents were more confident across the board. On the whole, taller respondents were more confident in their own appearance, more confident around potential partners, and more satisfied with their sex lives than their average and short male counterparts. Almost 83 percent of taller respondents even think of themselves as funny, compared to 77 percent of average participants and less than 68 percent of shorter participants. While the responses from female participants weren’t quite as concrete across the board, they still pointed to taller females being more confident than their shorter counterparts. 64 percent of taller female participants considered themselves to be attractive, compared to just 58 percent of average respondents and less than 56 percent of shorter respondents. One result of the survey was quite clear among both men and women: taller people have a leg up in the dating game, because they tend to have more self-confidence resulting from a more positive body image.
So where do we even get the idea of what our own ideal heights should be? The results of our survey point to the fact that we are projecting the preferences of potential partners onto ourselves. The most desired height for women among male respondents was 5’6”, while the most desired height for men among female respondents was 6’0”. If those number sound familiar, it’s because they should; those are the exact same ideal heights that the majority of male and female respondents had for themselves. By and large, men seem to be more concerned with their own height than women. Over 42 percent of all male respondents believe that being taller would give them better dating opportunities, and more than 30 percent of all male respondents believe that people who are taller than them don’t want to date them. Furthermore, the results of our survey suggest that these concerns are also stoked by external factors. Less than 36 percent of our shorter female respondents (5’2” and shorter) and only 41 percent of average female participants (5’3” – 5’5”) said that they would date someone shorter than them. And while that number increases for our taller female participants (taller than 5’5”), it only jumps to 61 percent. This is still in sharp contrast to the fact that almost 99 percent of all female respondents said that they would date someone taller than them.
All of that factors in to men being obsessed (sometimes overly) with how tall (or short) they are. Almost 24 percent of shorter-than-average male participants (shorter than 5’9”) said that they would go as far as to surgically alter their height if possible, and those respondents said that they would pay (on average) over 30 percent of their total savings for such a surgery. That doesn’t mean that women don’t have hang-ups about their own height; it just seems like it’s the taller women who do. 23 percent of all female survey participants believed that people who are shorter than them wouldn’t want to date them. Again, that’s only what they perceive about their potential partners. Having confidence and comfort in our own body image plays such a vital role in being able to go out and meet new people. How are we supposed to feel good about ourselves when we’re so concerned over one of the few parts of our body image that we cannot really alter?
Fortunately, body image isn’t exclusive to one’s height. There are plenty of ways we can not only look better to others, but also improve how we feel about ourselves. At BodyLogicMD, we approach body image as a positive result of actually living healthier and setting our bodies up to perform and look their best. Dieting is a good way to do this, but there are other things we can do in tandem with a good diet and healthy lifestyle that can help us unlock our full potential. At BodyLogicMD, we can help you assess your own hormone levels before crafting a plan of hormone replacement therapy and targeted supplementation that may actually help you achieve maximum results from your healthy lifestyle choices. Don’t get hung up on things you can’t change. Contact your local BodyLogicMD office today to address your hormonal imbalance and improve how you feel about yourself!