TV Scope Supersize Kids: Britain's Tallest Teens ITV 1, Thursday, 9pm
Just barely hitting the five foot mark and the same size whether I'm sitting or standing, I have never had much time for taller individuals who bemoan their height. But this hour-long documentary told the story of three teenagers who tip the other end of the scale and showed shorties like me that there is another side to being tall.
Paul Sturgess is a 19-year-old from Loughborough, in England and, at 7ft 7ins, is still growing. He is currently only one-and-a-quarter inches smaller than the world's tallest man.
Paul has adapted well to his height, mainly due to his parents' positive attitude and the acceptance of his friends. Having just finished his first year on scholarship at Florida Tech, Orlando, he is all set to scale the heights of professional basketball with the NBA. His aim is to become a millionaire and make his extra inches work for him, rather than against him.
Next up was Chris Lister, the same age as Paul and measuring 7ft 3ins. With a very different attitude towards his height he is subjected to verbal abuse and harassment. As a result, he is painfully lacking in self-confidence and tries to hide his height by stooping. His aspirations to become a mechanic have been thwarted by chronic back problems.
As a child, he underwent numerous surgical procedures to remove the growth plates from his legs in an effort to inhibit his growth. His mother has spent over £20,000 adapting their home to accommodate his height. In an effort to boost his self-esteem his mother arranged for him to have a make-over with an image consultant. A new hair do, a photo shoot later and he was signed with a model agency which specialises in outsized models. His smile was almost as big as he was.
Finally, we met Tara Savage. Although the average height of a 12-year-old is five foot - obviously, the time I stopped growing! - Tara has already hit the 6ft 1in mark. Worried about her growth, her mother brought her to a specialist who was able to reassure a relieved mother and daughter that Tara was unlikely to grow more than one or two inches more.
The programme illustrated well how casual comments and stares from total strangers can erode the confidence of those who do not fit society's idea of "normal".
Regardless of size, these are just normal teenagers who don't want to be different, but by a quirk of nature are destined to stand out from the crowd for evermore.
Marion Kerr is an occupational therapist and freelance writer