5 foot 9 inches 18 year old lad - short or not?

[BritishLad101]

So im 18 and my height is around 5 foot 9 inches, is this regarded as short/below average height? I mean in 2007 the average height was 5' 9", its probably got taller since.

Also I hear of 14-15 year olds who are over 6 foot (I was nowhere near that tall when I was that age)! Ive stopped growing now, so does that mean that in a few decades time ill be regarded as short if teens keep on getting taller like they are now?

[pcp71]

5'9 really isn't very short, while there are alot of men 6' and over, there are also quite a few men who are 5'6" and under (which is usually considered in the short range)

There are too many contributing factors to your final height, not to mention that some men will actually hit another smaller growth spurt in their 20's - I actually grew another (almost) 2" in my mid 20's.

If you don't let your height affect your self esteem too much, then it won't matter in the end

[BritishLad101]

it doesnt, i dont give a toss about my height. even if i was only 5 foot i wouldnt care. I just like to know where im at in relation to the rest of society.

[RedRoses]

Dear BritishLad101,
Why the question? What does the answer give you? What does it change or matter? Your height is what it is. You could wear some high boots if you'd like to appear taller. But that's about it. Just be happy with who you are!

There's a difference between countries. Like: on the average Dutch people are among the tallest. And I am even taller than most women (recalculated it's exactly 6 feet, if my software is not mistaken). Over generations; kids seem to get a bit taller. Though last research they did here in the Netherlands, it surprisingly didn't happen over the last decade. Why? It could be because the height has reached a healthy maximum. It could be because people are getting larger in width instead of length. In other words; our diet is getting more poor and less nutritious. Over history, nutrients seem one of the keys to why people become taller on the average.

Apart from good health and food and other environmental factors, for every individual there is a different set of genes that largely defines you. They can calculate what the approximate adult height of a newborn will be by using mom and dad's height (with a standard deviation off course).

[RedRoses]

Ah, I see, you answered my question before I posted what I was typing
And a quick google-search found me this wiki-page:
Human height - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

5 ft 9/10 inches appears average male height in UK.

[big916]

The average height is definitely skewed by the media in tv and film. A lot of male actors being 6' and over, plus the women a little taller and wearing high heels. Yes the average male height is also 5'9" here in the US. The woman's average being 5'4". I think since women are wearing higher length heels they desire a taller man.

Be happy that you are 5'9" because there is a lot of discrimination towards short people. Less physically attractive to women, tall people are chosen more when interviewing for a lot of jobs. I'm a couple inches shorter than you but it doesn't bother me. There are so many asians and mexicans where I live that I am average height or even towering over a lot of women.

Like RR said nutrition makes a difference in a group of people's height. The average Mexican national is shorter than a Mexican who is 2nd or 3rd generation American. This is likely due to poor nutrition. I believe Mexico is now considered the heaviest country in the world.

[RedRoses]

I guess every height will have pro's and cons. It only gets problematic when you're so small it's hard to reach adult heights or so tall that you get health issues. Being a bit taller than average is sometimes practical; I can often overlook crowds better and I often help people get things they can't reach in stores (doing my charity of the day ) And it's much fun when visiting southern Europe, where tall blond girls are considered really pretty On the other hand; I do have a tendency of making myself look a bit smaller, especially when I don't feel comfortable. At those moment I try to blend in and not have my head and shoulders stick out above the rest. It's a bad posture thing I try not to do.

I don't understand why some men and women would make such a big deal out of a woman being more tall than her man. My bf is several inches shorter than I am. It doesn't change anything. Funny thing would be that I somehow was a bit prejudiced on strength. I was much surprised that he still is a lot stronger than I am, even though I work out more than he does and I'm certainly not a girl that looks physically weak, so to speak

[EvilEvilKitten]

Sorry but if HE's under 6 foot my advice is to throw him back if SHE's 5' 9" or taller - generally speaking because if he's a great guy and the most suitable match for you then nevermind because character trumps 'the packaging' every time.

My family definitely skews the calculations because there are no males under 6 foot tall and most of the women average at 5' 11". I am the runt at 5' 9" - in bare feet.

The tallest people happen to be the Tutsi, if there are any left extant.

[big916]

Originally Posted by RedRoses

I don't understand why some men and women would make such a big deal out of a woman being more tall than her man. My bf is several inches shorter than I am. It doesn't change anything. Funny thing would be that I somehow was a bit prejudiced on strength. I was much surprised that he still is a lot stronger than I am, even though I work out more than he does and I'm certainly not a girl that looks physically weak, so to speak

Part of the issue with height in society is psychological during attraction. Height translates to dominance and power. In society the man is the protector and would be more applicable to protect if he is tall, given that the fighting skills are equal between fighters. many women express that they feel safe with a taller man and also like being picked up when being playful. the sociological part is based on the psychology that was explained above. men are taught this through people and images so they feel insecure with a woman that is taller than himself.

i personally don't care, if a tall woman is willing to give me a shot then i'll take it. in my experience she might be insecure about being taller. i went to school with someone like that, beautiful girl 5'10/11 and was afraid to be sexy in high heels. i cheered her up with a couple one liners and told her it is only a problem if she thinks it is.

funny when you mentioned that you are 6 feet RR I automatically assumed that your bf is 6 feet or taller. see what society does to the people. haha

[RedRoses]

Personally I don't wear high heals. Not just because I'm tall enough as it is, also because I have weak ankles. I'm happy that flat sexy shoes are also fashionable these days I had to look a really long time before finding them before.

I can imagine the safety-thing. I know a guy who's 7 ft; you feel like no-one in this world could bother him And as said; men can be surprisingly strong. Admittedly; there's something sexy about my bf being able to hold me. I like a specific position in which I straddle him while he's on the couch. He pushes my legs further apart and scoops to the edge of the couch; the inner of my knees (my dictionary says you call it: popliteal fossa?) are on his upper legs. He holds my body as he pushes me backwards until my upper body is almost horizontal from my hips up. I'm basically hovering legs spread I hope you can picture it, it's hard to describe... Even more fun when he holds me with one hand behind me back and plays my clit. He can't keep that up too long, off course. When ready to go to the bedroom for other positions, he stands up picking me up at the same time. It feels like a fair where my stomach goes whoop-di-doo! Iow; I guess I'd favor strength over height and apparently; looks can be deceiving on that