Shortness can put people at a marked disadvantage. Short children are more likely to be teased and bullied (called names such as "shrimp", "midget" and "dwarf") and often start failing at school. Later in life, it is possible they find it harder to get jobs and to adjust socially as adults.
In a sample of more than 5,000 men who passed a US Air Force Academy entrance examination after 25 years those who were between 1.65 and 1.68 metres tall earned $2,500 a year less than those who were between 1.80 and 1.85 metres tall.