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 (around 7500 yuan) 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 five per cent more than their slender colleagues.