The Impact of Height on Self-Esteem: A Look at Limb Lengthening Surgery in Materialists

In the new romantic drama Materialists, directed by Celine Song, the character Lucy (played by Dakota Johnson) is a matchmaker who helps her clients find their ideal partners based on specific criteria, including height. The film explores the idea of height as a key factor in the dating market, and how some people are willing to go to extreme lengths to change their physical appearance to meet these expectations.

One such extreme measure is limb lengthening surgery, performed by Dr. Dror Paley, founder of the Paley Orthopedic & Spine Institute’s Stature Center in West Palm Beach, Fla. Dr. Paley has performed over 25,000 limb lengthening surgeries in his 38-year career, with most of these surgeries done to correct imbalances in the body. However, he also performs around 100 surgeries per year on patients who simply want to be taller.

Limb lengthening surgery involves gradually pulling apart a broken bone (such as the tibia or femur) so that new bone grows in the gap. This process is typically done using implantable devices with motors or magnets that are controlled remotely and adjusted slowly over weeks. With each adjustment, the devices extend the bone by no more than 1 millimeter per day, and the body naturally generates new bone and soft tissue to fill in the space. The recovery process takes about five months, and physical therapy is required to regain functionality. Depending on the device used, some patients may need a walker or crutches to move around initially.

While Dr. Paley initially had concerns about being judged for performing this type of surgery, he has come to understand that it is a way to help patients change how they feel about themselves and their bodies. He said that the surgery can have a profound impact on a person's life, giving them the confidence to pursue their dreams and goals.

However, as a mental health counselor specializing in body image issues, Alyson Curtis believes that height is a major insecurity for many men on the shorter side. She said that society is "obviously patriarchal" and "made by men," and that their definition of masculinity is still based on being big and powerful, with height being a key factor in this definition. This leads to many men expecting women to be "very small," which can also lead to women experiencing body image issues around thinness.

Curtis said that while she validates her clients for feeling bad about the ways in which society judges them, these standards don't have to define who we are. Instead, she encourages her patients to find acceptance in the things they can't or don't want to change. "There are people in this world who want to change things about you, who are going to judge you - whether it's a personality attribute or even other features like the color of our skin," she said. "There's so many things about us that people are going to reject that we just can't please everyone."

In conclusion, while height may be a key factor in the dating market, it is not the only factor that defines a person's worth or value. It's important to remember that we all have our own unique qualities and strengths, and that we should not let society's expectations dictate how we feel about ourselves.