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There has never been a better time to be short
Researchers say there are benefits to being short but we still cling on to the ‘taller is better’ myth.
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There is an ongoing debate about the stature of a population and what it means for the prosperity and fairness of a nation.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: UNSPLASH
Mara Altman
From where I stand – at 1.5m in height – being tall is a widely held fantasy of superiority that long ago should have been retired.
It made sense to fawn over height when it facilitated survival. Ages ago, when the necessity of defending oneself cropped up daily, if not hourly, tall people could more easily protect their families and bring home some woolly rhino flank. Today, those who have the stamina to sit in an office chair all day bring home the plastic-wrapped meats.
