The words „manlet“ and „hiplet“ are showing up increasingly in internet discussions. „Manlet“ is used as an insult aimed at boys and men who are perceived as short, while „hiplet“ targets girls and women for a natural inward curve of the hips known as a hip dip. Both terms are employed to shame people about their bodies and to undermine their self‑esteem.
Fiona Yassin, a family psychotherapist and the clinical director of the Wave Clinic, told HuffPost UK that social media often turns ordinary physical traits into sudden flaws. Such labels make individuals feel they fall outside the norm, even though height, hip shape and overall proportions vary greatly and are highly individual.
For parents, Yassin advises not to dismiss a child’s hurt feelings when they encounter these terms. Instead, acknowledge the emotions, validate the experience and ask open‑ended questions such as „How did that make you feel at the moment?“ or „What do you think those comments were trying to achieve?“ This approach helps young people process the incident rather than internalise the negativity.
To build body confidence, the therapist recommends avoiding negative remarks about one’s own or others’ appearance, focusing conversations on what the body can do, and praising personal qualities rather than looks. The aim is to develop a stable sense of self‑worth so that disparaging comments carry less weight.