How short do you have to be to be considered a Midget ( I prefer Vertically Challenged)

Dwarfism is characterized (for adults) as being under 4’ 10’’ (the typical height according to this for adults is between 2’ 8’’ and 4’ 8’’). It can be caused by about 200 different things and is not a disease by itself.

I prefer “gravity proud”. (I’m 5’1” on a good day.)

Dwarfism is a medical condition. Not all short people have it. You might like this article on Wikipedia. It talks about the different types, causes, and which terms are acceptable and which are not, like midget.

It also has a link at the bottom to a list of shortest people. I worked with a lady who is about your height and wears a size 2 shoe. She is not a dwarf. She is challenged by people judging her for her height until getting to know her better.

@Pied_Pfeffer Thanks, I will check it out. Yeah, I have the same problem, my husband and I still get funny looks sometimes when we are out together. ( he’s about 6’feet) I have thought about finding a little people convention somewhere to see if others like me are there too. I’ve met other short people like me, but they still usally have me by a few inches, I’m always the shortest in the room. The most frustrating thing is how high up everything is! Especially when grocery shopping, there is always something on the top 2 shelves I need and can’t reach, although I’m pretty resourceful, I can climb a shopping cart like nobody’s business! Well, that and clothes shopping, NOTHING ever fits me comfortably and size 2 is limited in shoes, that’s usually the go between for a little while for most kids, so there isn’t a big selection to choose from… Light up Barbie shoes here I come! ;)

My heart goes out to you. The vast majority of people of average size, both height and weight, have no idea how hard it is to shop for clothes that fit.

And yes, grocery shopping is another issue, but seems easier to solve. I often offer to help anyone who look like they need it, such as people in a motorized vehicle and those that cannot read the labels or are just utterly lost in finding an item. If they can place the sweet cereals on the lowest shelves, you’d think that stores could at least not make the shelving so high.

I once read a novel, and one of the characters was an architect who designed houses for the vertically challenged, including those in a wheelchair. I thought it was a brilliant idea.

I’ve discovered that walking up to strangers in the grocery store and asking “Wouls you be tall for me?’ gets me a smile and help. Sometimes I go to the housewares section firsy, grab a towel bar, and use it to knock stuff down to my level.

@JilltheTooth Great idea on the Towel Bar! I will sometimes grab something from a lower shelf and use that to knock stuff down, but that doesn’t always work and I have had things fall on my head…. If there is others around me I will sometimes ask if I can “borrow their Height, I seemed to have lost mine” and that gets a laugh and a helping hand. I do come across very friendly helpful people, but I have also come across some who would prefer to just stand there and entertain themselves watching me scramble up the shelves too! (which I only do if it looks sturdy enough, makes a good ladder) I did find a great shoe place online called www.cinderellaofboston.com but they mostly have sandals and dress shoes, they only offer 1 Tennis Shoe, you can fax them an outline of your foot and they tell you what size to order from them since they specialize in small footwear, anyone else out there with small feet, it is a great site. I wish it were that easy to find a place with clothes… I could send them an outline of my body ( or may be easier to send my measurements I guess, but not as fun) and get clothes that fit right!

You might want to look at the Lands’ End website. This link is for the Size 2 items that they offer. Here is another link for slacks/shorts. Their products are top quality and they offer a satisfaction guarantee.

@Fairylover78 : Sometimes when someone just watches me leaping and leaping like some kind of demented flea, I make a point of asking them why they enjoy watching a small middle-aged woman struggle. Most at least have the grace to look abashed.

lol Jill, good for you! I have occasionally, glanced over and stared at them right back and just ask ” Really?” Ahhh, it’s nice to see them turn red with embaressment from time to time too!

Thanks everyone for the answers, I guess technically I would be considered a “Midget” then… Oh man, that just means all those kids when I was in Highschool were right! Darnit, I always said ” uh-uh, I’m taller than a Midget” sigh guess not.

You know what we need? They have the Big and Tall stores right? Well, we need a Short and Small one too…. that would be nice.

@fairylover love you, baby. (Fairylover’s husband) Just thought I should interject that the term Midget is considered derogatory by most. I know that you know that, but should anybody else read the thread, figured that should be inserted. Little Person is, of course, the preferred term, though not everybody in any group agrees on the proper name for the group.

And I’m not 6 foot… more like 5’ 10” if my hair’s poofy that day.

@crazyivan Love you too silly! And I said ALMOST 6’ foot, but either way your my giant! Yeah, I don’t like the word either, but I know it is most recognizable and figured it would draw attention to the question more, To Any other Little People out there, please forgive the slip, but just so you know, I offended myself as well, and I have already forgiven me.

Anyway, still waiting on that Short and Small Store….

I’m 6 feet…..lucky I guess with size 12 feet….....so I’m only a foot and a half taller than you!!!! You are tecnically the height of a six year old so enjoy being a kid!!!!!

I once dated a 4’9 girl and know the struggles you go through…......it wasn’t easy for her….or us for that that matter…...she had to stand on 2 stairs so we could be the same height to kiss one another

I have a serious question…..at only 4’6” you are the height of a young child…...6–7 years old. I know this because my niece is 7 years old and 4’8 and wears a size 4 shoe. What is it like to walk around a crowd of people and be the shortest one in the bunch, and what is it like to have little kids like 7–10 yr olds looking down at you all the time????? Just very curious

I’ll try to get my wife back on to fill you in. I can say from being around a 4’ 6” person for 14 years that it is really tough for her to make her way through a crowd. People bump into her constantly. Kids always seem to want to pick her up. At least three times a week somebody will stop us to ask how tall she is and then relate a story about the next smallest person they ever met.

Kids picking her up would be humiliating and people asking her how tall she is would be bothersome. I mean, really, she’s 4’6”......obviously she is extemely short and people already know that by looking at her. Do they really have to ask????

They always seem to want to check to see if she’s shorter than someone else. They have an aunt who is, say, 4’ 10” and they want to go back and tell her how much shorter this girl they met was. My wife has a good sense of humor about kids wanting to pick her up, though. She loves kids and I think she secretly likes being picked up, too.

Boy, been a bit since I checked this! lol I think CrazyIvan answered most of it, to the best of his knowledge anyway ;) @rpeterson4141 yeah, I constantly am asked how tall I am, but another one that I am constantly asked is ” How Old are you?” I think that one might be worse! lol Although it is fun watching them squirm when I tell them to ” Take a Guess” rather than answering right away! It’s also fun to hear their answers. Okay, I admit it…. I do enjoy being picked up, well there has to be some perks to being little right? And I think I need about 3 steps to be eye level with CrazyIvan for a comfortable kiss…. It’s not easy kissing a tall guy you know, it can be a Pain in the neck ;) and I’m sure if asked it has to be a pain in his back! As far as people having to ask? Well, I think more than anything it just slips out, it takes many by surprise I think, because of course they have known someone short and I’m always shorter! Oh and one of the other perks to being small is that when my friends 8 to 12 yr olds grow out of their clothes, I always get first dibs on hand me downs! Shoes are another matter as most 8 yr olds have bigger feet than me ( size 2 here, sigh) Let me know if you have any more questions as I am an expert on the being little things, I have a lifetime of experience… I’ve been the same size more or less since I was about 8 ( and in case your wondering I’m 32 :) Oh yeah!!! PS about the walking in a crowd Q, well, lets just say I am perpetually lost, as I don’t have x ray vision, I get bumped or “overlooked” alot… all I can say is Thank Goodness for tall guys who like their women little because I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have a tall husband to hold onto for dear life in a crowded place!

@Fairylover78 : I’m a giant 5’1” to your 4’6”, but I have the same problem in crowds. No tall man with me, though, I’ll hang on to you two, if you don’t mind when the crowds close in! (And don’t get me started on crowded elevaotors in the summer!!!)

Lol @JilltheTooth, oh man or crowded subways! Yikes, if I’m not by the doors in elevators or subways, I miss my stop! I’ve got some lungs on me, but when people overlook you ( literally) it doesn’t matter how much you yell for them to get the hell out of your way, they don’t know which way to move! ;)