DA. This is true, but I don't think being 3 inches shorter than a national average makes someone "short." Average heights take huge extremes into account, and I don't think I even know anyone who's 5'10" (I'm in swing dancing, where height is kind of a big deal.) I know a lot more people who are 6'4" or 5'4", you know? This is one of those things where the mode is probably more meaningful than the mean.