Insensitivity to height

Recently, I was out a walk with my boyfriend and we were discussing the idea of commenting on someone's height. The fact that in society it is more socially acceptable to comment on a person's height. I can admit that when I meet someone for the first time or see someone on the street, I have said, "Oh you have gotten really tall" or "She is quite small." On dating apps, it has become normal to ask someone what their height is and some people even put it in their bio. But if I was to ask what weight you were it would be a completely different story. Why is that? 

We are more sensitive when someone comments on our weight. Commenting on someone's weight is treated delicately and so it should. There is a general consensus that it is rude and classless to make a thoughtless comment about the weight of a person. Weight gain or loss can be an outward representation of many mental illnesses from eating disorders to depression. From someone who has recovered from this illness, I am a strong advocate that it should be treated sensitively. By commenting on someone's weight, it can just ingrain into the head of a person with an eating disorder that all they are defined by is how much they weigh - reinforcing the intrusive thoughts about food and anxiety. Yet, I've always been fascinated on why this approach is not taken with height. 

The same boundaries and filters do not apply when we comment on someone's height. Perhaps we do not comment on height because it is not associated with the diet culture that society imposes on us. But let's be honest, society tells us that the ideal body type is these never-ending legs. This suggests an element of height. However I think the idea is that we cannot change our height. 

We are exposed to images on a daily basis on social media relating to weight loss. This billion dollar industry profits by highlighting your weight insecurities. Celebrities promote these appetite suppressant lollipops and laxative teas. There is no escaping constant "you should be thin" messaging. So many people are bombarded with messages to escalate the feeling of dissatisfaction with their bodies. This naturally builds a filter for people not to comment on someone's weight as we are subconsciously commented on our weight, with our own thoughts, when we log on to Facebook or Instagram. 

We can openly accept that there is a prominent diet culture but we will soon realise that there is not a culture for height. There is not a diet plan or lifestyle that can help a person achieve the ideal height like people chasing their ideal weight. They can't physically make their legs look longer. As there is no culture attached to it or control over it, then society has deemed it free to comment on. But height discrimination does exist. For example, in 2002 a case was taken to court involving highly qualified applicants being turned down for jobs at a bank because they were considered too short. Also in 2005 a Swedish case involved an unfair height requirement for employment by Volvo car company. 

We have to be aware that height is as much of an insecurity as weight. It can also be associated with mental illnesses, with a research report published in the American Journal of Psychiatry discovering a strong inverse association between height and suicide in Swedish men which may signify the importance of childhood exposure in the etiology of adult mental disorder or reflect stigmatization or discrimination encountered by short men in their adult lives. Additionally, a record linkage study of the birth, conscription, mortality, family and census register data of 1,299,177 Swedish men followed from age 18 to a maximum of age 49 was performed and it found that a 5cm increase in height was associated with a 9% decrease in suicide risk. Height therefore has much to play in the relation with mental illnesses as weight does. 

This had led to the new terminology of heightism, which was coined by sociologist Saul Feldman in a paper titled "The presentation of shortness in everyday life - height and heightism in American society: Toward a sociology of stature." This new terminology was included in the Second Barnhart Dictionary of New English (1971) and popularised by Time magazine in a 1971 article about his paper. The fact that new terms are being made to highlight this discriminatory issue shows we must put an end to height comments. 

I think that overall we just need to get rid of the comments on people's appearance. In which universe should it be fair to say that someone's body part is 'too' something? Compliment people on their height but don't be patronising. Or just keep your mouth shut. The sarcastic comments of "How's the weather up there?" are just not funny. Remember that the person you are talking to is aware of their appearance and will not be impressed with your powers of observation. 

I want to highlight some situations where you should comment on someone's appearance such as: 

• Your friend's mascara being smudged all over their face
• If they look like they are about to pass out 
• If they directly ask about an aspect of your appearance such as asking if they look okay

Next time you are about to make a comment on someone's height, weight or any physical trait, tell them how amazing, kind, loving and fun they are. And if you still can't do that, look at yourself. It won't be hard to pick out your own issues and flaws, therefore, we have no authority or right to talk about anyone else's. Body image is fragile and your body is your business and nobody else's. It is not public property and the subject of scrutiny and judgement. The world would be such a better place if we became as sensitive to commenting on height to that of weight. And if we just stopped commenting on physical appearance all together.