LONDON, England (Reuters) -- Height matters when it comes to having children, according to a study showing that tall men are likely to have more kids than their shorter contemporaries.

But the reverse is true for women, according to details of the study published in the Independent newspaper on Wednesday.

The survey of 10,000 people born in 1958 found that height plays an important role in finding a partner and having children by the age of 42.

British men of average height -- 5-foot-10 -- had significantly fewer children by middle age than a 6-foot-1 man, the newspaper reported. For women, however, those most likely to be married with children by the same age were between 4-foot-11 and 5-foot-2, or below the average female height of 5-foot-4.

The study's author, Daniel Nettle of the Open University, said the findings showed the difference in height between the sexes continued to play a role in the likelihood of someone finding a partner and having children with them.

"It is known from psychological tests that women find tall men attractive but that men don't particularly find tall women attractive," Nettle was quoted as saying. "These results show that this does play out in real life."

The study was published in Proceedings of the Royal Society, a publication of the UK scientific academy.

-- (Tall@Women.Not), August 18, 2002

Answers

What's not to love about tall women... big feet?

Do men find tall women intimidating?

-- (wuzzup@wit.dat), August 18, 2002.

Re: Tall women and short men------

When you're nose to nose, your toes is in it

When you're toes to toes, your nose is in it

-- (nemesis@awol.com), August 19, 2002.

And this is a bad thing?

-- (statuesque@beauty.), August 19, 2002.

Despite the abuse that is sure to follow I will try to give you a serious answer.

I am 6'2". Most of the women that I have dated or married have been 5'6" or less. I have dated two women that were what I consider tall. One was 5'11" and the other 6'0". I am sad to say that I probably was intiminidated by having a woman that could look me in the eye.

I am more saddened when I admit that I wish that I had been more willing to treat both of these wonderful women as an equal and not be put off by their stature. They both were truly, very nice persons.

Live and learn.

-- Jack Booted Thug (governmentconspiracy@NWO.com), August 19, 2002.