Petite girls really do get a rough ride sometimes.
We feel invisible on public transport, we need a cushion to see over the steering wheel and we’ve accepted that pulling off the cropped trouser trend is next to impossible.
And that’s not all. Ever felt as though your taller pals lose weight more easily than you? And that your jeans feel tighter if you put on a couple of pounds, while your 5’10” friends wouldn’t even notice a difference?
Don’t worry, you’re not going mad. This may actually be the case – and there’s a scientific reason behind it.
According to Craig Primack – president-elect of the Obesity Medicine Association – shorter women have slower metabolisms.
He explains: ‘The average woman has a basal metabolic rate (BMR) of 1,400 calories per day. That means, if she lays in bed for 24 hours, she will burn 1,400 calories.
‘But I see women who are shorter than 5′ with BMRs of 1,200 calories, and some who are 5’10” or so at 1,750 or more per day.’
See: Wine Before Bed Makes You Lose Weight, Says Science
Essentially, the smaller your body, the less energy it needs – and therefore the less it burns. According to Dr Primack, smaller frames have less lean mass on them, which includes muscles, organs, bones and connective tissue.
Lean mass is everything that isn’t fat or water, and is the most important factor that determines how many calories we burn.
It’s not the best news we’ve ever heard, but there are some perks to being on the smaller side. We can bag some absolute bargains in the kids’ clothing sections, and we always have plenty of leg room on planes.
And in our opinion, the odd chocolate bar is always worth it.
