In a tightening economy, your competitive edge in business needs to get sharper and it appears that the height of men (but not women) plays no small part in boosting your stakes. Whilst upholding equality and treating everyone with warmth and respect is part of my clinical philosophy, I do get irritated with political correctness but it does seem rather unfair that a man’s height is used as an indicator of success in business, earning power and even attracting women.

Don’t take my word for it: there is masses of evidence that taller men earn more, achieve higher employment status, have more children and are more admired by women. In the 21 US presidential elections from 1904 to 1984, the taller candidate won 80 percent of the time. A researcher polled about half of the Fortune 500 companies and found that the majority of their CEOs were tall, white men with 58 per cent of them being over 6 foot tall. Research closer to home found that tall UK men are head and shoulders above shorter colleagues – earning an extra £1,000 for every £10,000 earned by short men.

So where does this last bastion of acceptable prejudice come from? Surely height bears no relation to how one performs in his or her job? Well it may be evolutionary in origin. Psychologist Timothy Judge says, “The process of literally ‘looking down on others’ may cause one to be more confident. Similarly, having others ‘looking up to us may instil in tall people more self- confidence.”

“Perhaps when humans were in the early stages of organisation, they used height as an index for power in making ‘fight or flight’ decisions,” Judge says. “Of course, physical stature and prowess may be less important today, but those evolutionary appraisals may still be with us.”

Experts like James Gould from Princeton University believe that women’s preference for tall men is hardwired into the brain, and it’s there because it relates to good health. “When height is an indicator of health, this is not surprising, and if females are programmed to look for health, they would end up with taller males,” Gould says. Studies by, Daniel Nettle of the Open University, on 10,000 people born in the UK in 1958 confirm that taller men are more likely to be married and have more children than average men.

So whether it’s fair or not, height brings advantages to the male of our species. But is it possible to make yourself taller? Your height is determined by genetics and by environmental factors, such as disease and diet, when you are growing. Bone length growth stops after puberty although it’s important to eat calcium rich bone healthy foods throughout your life. Bar risky and, in my opinion, appalling surgery where the legs are broken and bone grafts inserted, how can a chap stand taller? Well, the clue is in the phrase ‘stand taller’. Your posture and your self confidence will go a long way to adding to our stature physically and visually. Wearing the right clothes can also elongate your silhouette but this is not my area of expertise so I’ll keep schtum on this point. I have, however, included some advice on posture that will not only maintain the health and mobility of your spine but will make you proud to stand tall. And my last word on this? Look after you spine: if you feel you pain or stiffness, or feel that your posture is letting you down, give me call.

 Posture tips for men

•  Be posture-conscious: when you are walking, sitting, sleeping, standing, lifting, driving and exercising be aware of your posture.
• Check the mirror: shift your balance and straighten up until your ears, shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles are in vertical alignment. Learn to maintain this good posture and you can add height to your stature.
• Relax: move your shoulders back slightly and relax them. Keep your knees soft rather than locked.
• Heads up and back: Imagine a string in the middle of the top of your head gently pulling your head upwards. Keep your chin down and move your head back slightly so that it sits over your shoulders rather than jutting out in front.
• Learn to lift: keep you stomach muscles tight and bend down with your knees not your back. Hold the object close to your body and straighten up using your legs. Never twist and bend at the same time.
• Sit up: when driving or sitting down, make sure your hips are as far back against the chair as possible. Keep you knees at hip level or slightly lower. Keep your shoulders directly above your hips (not leaning forwards or backwards).
• Hit the gym: learn how to exercise your core muscles to support your spine.
• Exude confidence: work on your self esteem as people associate confidence and height.
• Look after your spine: get any pain or stiffness checked out by your local chiropractor.

For more tips on posture, exercise and general health see www.spinalcarecentre.co.uk or www.spinalandnatural.co.uk