Why is 5'4 considered small for a woman online

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm 5'9" and I'm not an extreme outlier in my workplace or social groups - lots of women are around my height, though rarely taller. My sister is an outlier at 5'11".

I don't know who is included in the CDC average but I wonder if it's skewed by an older population (prior generations not as tall + older individuals shrinking).

I think you have a good point here. Women under, say, 40, tend to be taller than women in previous generations. They had better nutrition, better health care. Their mothers had better care and advice during pregnancy. For example, earlier generations had mothers who were told to severely restrict food intake during pregnancy: people born to mothers who did that likely never fulfilled their height potential. Another example is smoking. Babies born to mothers who smoked during pregnancy have lower birth weights on average than babies born to mothers who did not smoke. Smoking is far less common now than it was in the 40s, 50s, and 60s.

It would be interesting to see the average height broken down by age groups. I think the average height for 20-30 year olds would be higher than that for 60-70 year olds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are woman's height being compared to male heights or extremely rare supermodels ?

If you look at statistical data the average height for a woman in the USA per the CDC is 5'3.5 . Also there is a theory online that white woman are huge , no the average white woman is only 1-2 inches than a Asian or Hispanic woman . The tallest country in the world dutch woman average 5'6-5'7 max not 5'9 lol .

I am a 5'4 woman and irl i dont feel small , when i wear 4-5 inch heels i am eye level with a lot of men . Most woman irl are 5'3 -5'5 not 5'6-5'8 lol this includes white woman as well .

I have a female cousins that are 4'11 and 5'0 now those woman are small not me .

It’s because men prefer a taller woman and a dating apps allow you to screen. Both men and women do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm 5'9" and I'm not an extreme outlier in my workplace or social groups - lots of women are around my height, though rarely taller. My sister is an outlier at 5'11".

I don't know who is included in the CDC average but I wonder if it's skewed by an older population (prior generations not as tall + older individuals shrinking).

Actually Americans are getting shorter. I just read an article about it recently. The trend towards growth is reversing.

[Anonymous]

I think how you look depends on the length of your legs. DD and I are both 5’3. Her legs are really long. She often doesn’t need petite clothes. Mine are not. She looks taller than me if we are not side by side and not standing next to talk people.

And OP, you mean short, not small. By my weight, no one is going to call me small.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm 5'9" and I'm not an extreme outlier in my workplace or social groups - lots of women are around my height, though rarely taller. My sister is an outlier at 5'11".

I don't know who is included in the CDC average but I wonder if it's skewed by an older population (prior generations not as tall + older individuals shrinking).

I think you have a good point here. Women under, say, 40, tend to be taller than women in previous generations. They had better nutrition, better health care. Their mothers had better care and advice during pregnancy. For example, earlier generations had mothers who were told to severely restrict food intake during pregnancy: people born to mothers who did that likely never fulfilled their height potential. Another example is smoking. Babies born to mothers who smoked during pregnancy have lower birth weights on average than babies born to mothers who did not smoke. Smoking is far less common now than it was in the 40s, 50s, and 60s.

It would be interesting to see the average height broken down by age groups. I think the average height for 20-30 year olds would be higher than that for 60-70 year olds.

Yes people are getting taller due to improved nutrition and also likely selective breeding.

However, in the US, heights have actually plateaued in the last 50 years or so. The average height for 29 year old woman in the US is 163.54 (a little over 5'4"). The average height for a 69 year old woman in the US is 163.58 (also a little over 5'4").

In other countries, heights have changed more dramatically. For instance in South Korea, the average for a 29 year old is almost 5'4" while the average for a 69 year old is under 5'2".

But there is no country where the average height of a 29 year old woman is 5'8". Even in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe (which has the tallest women in the world, the average tops out at 5'5" or just shy of 5'6".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:5'5-5'8 is generally considered "Average"
so taller is tall and shorter is short. Sorry.

For a woman?! No. 5’8 is very very tall for a woman. Average for a man (or very close to it).

Only a short person would think that 5'8 is very, very tall for a woman. 5'8 is rather short for a man.

Well, 5’8 is 95% for women so not sure what you would call it other than very tall? You don’t sound very smart.

Oooh, it’s an angry elf!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:5'5-5'8 is generally considered "Average"
so taller is tall and shorter is short. Sorry.

But the average height for an American woman is 5'4" lol.

Look I'm 5'3" so even by that standard I'm short. But I think 5'4"-5'5" is average.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm 5'9" and I'm not an extreme outlier in my workplace or social groups - lots of women are around my height, though rarely taller. My sister is an outlier at 5'11".

I don't know who is included in the CDC average but I wonder if it's skewed by an older population (prior generations not as tall + older individuals shrinking).

I think you have a good point here. Women under, say, 40, tend to be taller than women in previous generations. They had better nutrition, better health care. Their mothers had better care and advice during pregnancy. For example, earlier generations had mothers who were told to severely restrict food intake during pregnancy: people born to mothers who did that likely never fulfilled their height potential. Another example is smoking. Babies born to mothers who smoked during pregnancy have lower birth weights on average than babies born to mothers who did not smoke. Smoking is far less common now than it was in the 40s, 50s, and 60s.

It would be interesting to see the average height broken down by age groups. I think the average height for 20-30 year olds would be higher than that for 60-70 year olds.

Yes people are getting taller due to improved nutrition and also likely selective breeding.

However, in the US, heights have actually plateaued in the last 50 years or so. The average height for 29 year old woman in the US is 163.54 (a little over 5'4"). The average height for a 69 year old woman in the US is 163.58 (also a little over 5'4").

In other countries, heights have changed more dramatically. For instance in South Korea, the average for a 29 year old is almost 5'4" while the average for a 69 year old is under 5'2".

But there is no country where the average height of a 29 year old woman is 5'8". Even in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe (which has the tallest women in the world, the average tops out at 5'5" or just shy of 5'6".

The South Korea average probably reflects partly that people lose height as they age. What height were the 69 year olds when they were 30?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm 5'9" and I'm not an extreme outlier in my workplace or social groups - lots of women are around my height, though rarely taller. My sister is an outlier at 5'11".

I don't know who is included in the CDC average but I wonder if it's skewed by an older population (prior generations not as tall + older individuals shrinking).

I think you have a good point here. Women under, say, 40, tend to be taller than women in previous generations. They had better nutrition, better health care. Their mothers had better care and advice during pregnancy. For example, earlier generations had mothers who were told to severely restrict food intake during pregnancy: people born to mothers who did that likely never fulfilled their height potential. Another example is smoking. Babies born to mothers who smoked during pregnancy have lower birth weights on average than babies born to mothers who did not smoke. Smoking is far less common now than it was in the 40s, 50s, and 60s.

It would be interesting to see the average height broken down by age groups. I think the average height for 20-30 year olds would be higher than that for 60-70 year olds.

Yes people are getting taller due to improved nutrition and also likely selective breeding.

However, in the US, heights have actually plateaued in the last 50 years or so. The average height for 29 year old woman in the US is 163.54 (a little over 5'4"). The average height for a 69 year old woman in the US is 163.58 (also a little over 5'4").

In other countries, heights have changed more dramatically. For instance in South Korea, the average for a 29 year old is almost 5'4" while the average for a 69 year old is under 5'2".

But there is no country where the average height of a 29 year old woman is 5'8". Even in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe (which has the tallest women in the world, the average tops out at 5'5" or just shy of 5'6".

The South Korea average probably reflects partly that people lose height as they age. What height were the 69 year olds when they were 30?

That would be true for all countries though.

South Korea has had the greatest increase in height over the last 100 years of anywhere in the world. It has to do with nutrition and also what was a very closed society integrating with other ethnicities and introducing taller heights into the gene pool. There also used to be a strong preference for shorter women in South Korean culture which influenced genetics, and that has reversed and now taller women are often preferred.

[Anonymous]

This thread is a good example of how Americans are bad at math lol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm 5'9" and I'm not an extreme outlier in my workplace or social groups - lots of women are around my height, though rarely taller. My sister is an outlier at 5'11".

I don't know who is included in the CDC average but I wonder if it's skewed by an older population (prior generations not as tall + older individuals shrinking).

Actually Americans are getting shorter. I just read an article about it recently. The trend towards growth is reversing.

That’s immigration from short countries.

[Anonymous]

I’m 5’8 and no one ever remarks on my height; I meet women as tall as me very regularly.

[Anonymous]

I am 164 cm, which is the same as you op, and I feel like a hobbit. I feel short, and I have always been short.
I am from the Balkans, and yes, there, I am short.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm 5'9" and I'm not an extreme outlier in my workplace or social groups - lots of women are around my height, though rarely taller. My sister is an outlier at 5'11".

I don't know who is included in the CDC average but I wonder if it's skewed by an older population (prior generations not as tall + older individuals shrinking).

Actually Americans are getting shorter. I just read an article about it recently. The trend towards growth is reversing.

That’s immigration from short countries.

No, it’s due to health factors and nutrition.

https://theweek.com/health/height-in-america-shorter-public-health

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is the typical fashion model so tall when most women aren't that tall?

So they can be easily seen in groups when their billionaire husbands tries to show them off.