‘Manlet’ And ‘Hiplet’: The Body-Shaming Terms You Should Talk To Teens About

We cover what they mean, as well as how parents can respond if their child is targeted with these insults.

Parents editor at HuffPost UK

If you spend a substantial amount of time online, you might’ve already come across the terms “manlet” and “hiplet”. But for those who haven’t, “manlet” is a derogatory term that’s been used online for years as a way to height-shame shorter men and boys.

And now “hiplet”, which seems to be newer, is about body-shaming women and girls for having ‘hip dips’ (inward curves located below the hips and just above the thighs) as a retaliation to ‘manlet’ abuse.

Some claim the “the hiplet movement is an allegory to heightism” – basically, men are using the term “hiplet” to make a bigger point about prejudice against shorter men.

But these body-shaming terms ultimately aren’t helping anyone. Men have shared online how the term “manlet” has made them feel “depressed and insecure”, while women are saying “hiplet” is just another insecurity to add to the list.

Commenting on the trend, Fiona Yassin, family psychotherapist, and founder and clinical director of The Wave Clinic, told HuffPost UK: “Social media has a way of taking a perfectly normal human characteristic and turning it into a ‘flaw’ overnight.

“Terms like ‘manlet’ or ‘hiplet’ are........

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