Does size matter?

When it comes to choosing a partner, does height, shape, girth, length, or even the number on their bank balance really matter? Do short blokes suffer from Little Man Syndrome? And why all the fuss over slimming down when bigger is often better?

"Does size matter?" I recently asked a bunch of girlfriends over red wine. My unofficial poll found some starting results - size does indeed count.
"I always only date tall men," says my 34-year-old hairdresser A. Really? "Oh yes - height is very, very important for me when choosing a partner.

Let me explain. I am the shortest person in my family, so imagine me marrying a short bloke? Never! It's all about procreation - I've always dated tall blokes. Always will."

Surprising as it might sound, a dip into some online dating sites found that - shock, horror - women with tall men fetishes are growing faster than the proliferation of chat rooms to accommodate them.
Aside from having to crane your neck to have a chat to them, always being forced to wear dreadfully uncomfortably high heels when you're around them, and forever asking them to reach for things in the kitchen while reminding them to duck for cover when entering your bedroom, it seems tall men are currently tres chic.

May Ng, the publicist for Fast Impressions Speed Dating, concurs, revealing that dating a tall bloke is such a huge priority for so many women that they now even have specific events tailored for those who want to meet them.

"Our 'Tall Men' events are always a smash hit with the ladies," says May. "They book out as soon as we publish them on the internet and we often have a waiting list as tall as the men on offer! So far we have not had any complaints about the height of the guys - girls just love the fact that no matter how high their heels are, their dates will always be taller."

And lucky for those who are infatuated with them, a Mister Poll survey found that most blokes would rather date a girl shorter than them anyway.

So what's the big attraction to the tall man? Is it that tall blokes make us feel protected and safe? Do they bring out our feminine side?

Either way, short blokes don't despair. Serial blogger Amused female has seen both sides of the coin and says tall isn't always better: "I'm 5'8, (slightly taller than average) and have dated men both shorter and taller than myself. If a guy has a fantastic personality, I'm certainly not going to pass him over just because he may be 1-2 inches shorter!"

"Often shorter blokes are they the cutest," sighs A, (yet still refuses to ever date any). "Just look at Tom Cruise. Although it seems at the moment he's suffering from a little LMS."
Ah yes, LMS, also known as Little Man Syndrome. Never heard of it? Well Urbandictionary.com defines the syndrome as "the phenomenon of appearing overly aggressive or assertive. This may be a reaction after repeatedly suffering height discrimination (heightism) in the workplace, in relationships with women, or elsewhere during socialization".

Plus there's the issue of the size of his manhood. While experts say most men spend their lives afraid they're not big enough, a recent survey carried out by MSNBC/Elle Magazine found that a whopping 85 per cent of females say they are "very satisfied" just the way their partners are. (What a relief for the blokes!)

And the girls? Well the study also showed that sadly 7 out of ten women still hanker after Barbie's physique: slender body, narrow hips and large breasts. (Who doesn't?!) But the researchers add that we shouldn't despair. Barbie's proportions are "so extreme that it is estimated just one in every 100,000 women posesses her body type".