What Are ‘Manlets’ And ‘Hiplets’? Body-Shaming Terms Explained

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 designed to shame people by making them feel as though their body is somehow outside the norm, when in reality height, hip shape and body proportions vary enormously and are entirely unique.”

While adults might be able to brush off comments made online, for young people it can be a lot harder to just “ignore” them.

Yassin suggests that if a child reveals they’ve been targeted with one of these terms, parents should “resist the urge to dismiss it”.

“Instead, acknowledge what they are saying, validate their feelings, and remind them that these insults say far more about the culture of online comparison than they do about the person being targeted,” she added.

You could ask them open questions such as, “how did that make you feel in the moment?” or “what do you think those comments were trying to achieve?” – this, the therapist added, can help them process the experience rather than internalise it.

Of course, half the time these comments are probably coming from other young people who might not fully understand what they mean – or how they can seriously cause hurt.

“Children engaging in viral trends often don’t fully understand the potential impact on others,” continued Yassin.

“The goal for parents is to reintroduce mentalising – the ability to reflect on the thoughts, feelings, and intentions of both themselves and other people. When mentalising is ‘off-track’, children may act or speak without considering how it lands.”

If your child has called other people these terms, saying it was “just meant to be funny”, it can be helpful to remind them that a joke is only a joke when everyone is laughing.

The therapist continued that “if it’s damaging, toxic, makes others uncomfortable or is at someone else’s expense, it’s not a joke”.

“Ultimately, it’s important for children to understand that our actions always affect others.”

At home, it can also help to:

“Avoid comments about your teenager’s appearance – especially if they’re negative, or could be interpreted that way,” said Yassin.

It’s important children don’t hear the adults in their lives criticising their own bodies – or the bodies of other people.

“When parents criticise body shape, or suggest someone could improve their appearance, be ‘thinner’ or make their body different in some way, the underlying message is: you are not okay as you are,” warned the therapist.

“Building body confidence starts with helping teenagers see themselves as more than their appearance,” she continued.

You can do this by encouraging conversations about what their body allows them to do, rather than how it looks, and help them develop a critical eye towards social media trends that profit from insecurity and outrage.

“The goal isn’t to convince teenagers that cruel comments don’t matter, but to help them build a strong enough sense of self that someone else’s attempt to define them carries far less weight,” Yassin added.

Therapists and body image experts generally advise to steer clear of praising kids on their appearance or physical attributes, instead opting to praise kindness, creativity, resilience, humour, effort and values.

Unfortunately kids can’t escape bullying, as it can follow them home online.

Heightism, especially among boys, should be taken seriously – it’s a form of bullying and can have negative mental health implications for those on the receiving end.

Yassin advised that if body-shaming continues at school or begins to affect a young person’s mood, confidence or willingness to socialise, it’s important to involve the school and seek additional support if needed.

“If a young person shows signs of body image distress, restrictive eating, bingeing, purging, or obsessive exercise, early intervention is critical,” she added.

“Eating disorders are complex and often require the assistance of a psychiatric and mental health team. The earlier we intervene, the better the outcome.”