Tall People Earn More

Summary
18 May 2009

Researchers in Australia have found that tall people earn higher wages than their shorter counterparts. They also found that chubby people earn more than those who are skinny.

Reporter:
Nick Bryant


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REPORT

The long and short of this Australian report is that tall workers earn significantly more than their vertically challenged counterparts. A six foot man can expect a windfall of almost $750 a year.

The researchers found there were practical reasons why the size gap translated into a pay gap. Tall people were sometimes more capable of performing certain physical tasks, like reaching high shelves. But the discrepancy is explained mainly by discrimination, the simple fact that society tends to look on tall people as more powerful and smarter, even when they're not.

The study from the Australian National University also found that slimmer workers tend to get slimmer pay packets. Fat men earn 5% more than their slender colleagues.

Nick Bryant, BBC News, Sydney

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VOCABULARY


> the long and short of
a commonly used set expression said when you want to explain the general situation without giving details

vertically challenged
> an indirect way of saying 'short'

> counterparts
your counterpart is someone who is generally similar to you but different in a particular way (e.g. they come from a different country, or, as here, they are shorter than you)

> windfall
money that you win or receive unexpectedly

> translated into
meant, caused, resulted in

> discrepancy
a distinct difference between two things that should be the same

> discrimination
unfair treatment of someone because of prejudice about race, ethnicity, age, religion, gender or, as here, size

> tend to get slimmer pay packets
usually earn less money

> slender
slim, thin

Source:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2009/05/090518_witn_tall.shtml