Job opportunities

Although in medical terms those below the 3 percent average are considered short, doctors said many children that are taken to hospitals fall below the 20 percent average in the national health chart, adding that numerous teenagers are fixated with their stature.

According to local media reports, at the start of the new semester in September, Xishan Senior Middle School in Wuxi city, Jiangsu province, asked a new intake of students to complete forms requiring their basic information.

According to the details provided, the average height of boys was 180.9 cm, while for girls, it was 166 cm. But these figures were later found to be 7.6 cm and 4.1 cm taller respectively than the actual heights, meaning the students had exaggerated their stature when completing the forms.

Children who have reached puberty, and their parents, believe that stature, an important part of appearance, is a factor in social interaction.

Luo, the mother from Shanghai, said: "Height will largely affect my daughters' job opportunities in the future. Some university departments, including ocean navigation and hotel management, have height requirements for applicants."

She said she had seen reports in China and overseas stating that a person's stature has a direct bearing on their income.

In 2014, a survey in Sweden found that when a man gains 10 cm in height, his income rises by 6 percent.

Han Jun, the father of a 6-year-old boy from Changzhou city, Jiangsu province, who sought medical advice on the height of his son, said difficulty in finding a partner in the future would be a key concern for the boy if he was not tall enough.

"Most women prefer tall, handsome men. For our generation, it's hard for men shorter than 170 cm to find a girlfriend, and for the next generation, the bar will be set even higher," Han said.