Meaning
What does HWP mean?
HWP is an acronym that stands for “height, weight proportionate.”
It is used as a way for people to indicate that they are in a healthy weight range for their height, and that their body proportions are considered balanced and attractive.
This can be used to attract people who are looking for similar qualities in a potential partner.
However, due to the vague natue of the description, many consider it to be just an euphemism for being overweight.
“HWP” is commonly used in online dating and social media platforms, particularly in the LGBTQ+ community, to indicate that someone is sharing their physical attributes in their profile.
Origin
What's the origin of HWP?
The acronym “HWP” is thought to have emerged in the early days of online dating, as a way for users to communicate important information about their physical attributes in an efficient way, without going too deep into numericals.
Although the exact origin of the expression is not known, online dating began taking off in the 1990’s, so it is likely the acronym can be traced back to that time.
The first Urban Dictionary entry to the acronym was shared in April, 2004, with several other definitions following with the increasing popularity of “HWP”.
Spread & Usage
How did HWP spread?
As the popularity of “HWP” spread, it has become increasingly common to see the acronym used on social media platforms, particularly those geared towards the LGBTQ+ community.
It is often used in the bio sections of profiles, as well as in messages or posts.
In recent years, the term “HWP” has also been used in different places like dating apps like Grindr, Tinder, and OkCupid, social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and even in forums and discussion boards.
However, there are several accounts online whose experience states that the term is misused, and those who are actually height weight proportionate (people with a healthy body weight) rarely use it, since they are not insecure about the numbers shown by the scale.
Instead of them, the main users of the phrase are of course mildly overweight people, who, deep down, are conscious, that they could be toned better, but eating habits are too hard to let go.
It should be noted, that truly fat and extremely obese people refrain from using the acronym.
This uncertainty caused a controversy about the expression, leading to an ever reducing usage.
External resources
- Urban Dictionary – HWP