Compensating for Shortcomings?: Height and Its Behavioral Compensation Strategies

Abstract

Body dissatisfaction drives compensatory behaviors in modifiable domains like weight, but less is known about dissatisfaction with fixed traits such as height. This study examined how height and height dissatisfaction relate to appearance management strategies. A community sample of 328 Australian adults (72.89% female) completed measures of height, height dissatisfaction, and six compensatory behaviors, including footwear use, body composition changes, and concealment. Shorter height and greater dissatisfaction were linked to more frequent compensatory behaviors, particularly among males. Height dissatisfaction predicted most strategies more strongly than actual height and fully mediated the link between height and fat-reduction behaviors, while partially mediating footwear use. A suppression effect emerged: shorter dissatisfied individuals compensated more, but when controlling for dissatisfaction, taller individuals also reported higher compensatory behaviors. Males more often pursued muscularity and height-enhancing strategies, while taller females reported concealment behaviors like slouching. Findings align with gendered height norms and highlight height dissatisfaction as an overlooked body image concern with behavioral consequences, underscoring the need for inclusive body image frameworks.