Are thigh gaps healthy? Whether you have a thigh gap or not has no bearing on your internal health. It's common to assume that a thigh gap is determined by physical fitness, body weight or diet—and we don't blame you!
A thigh gap is when a person's inner thighs don't touch while standing with their feet together. For some people, there is no way to get a thigh gap since it largely depends on bone structure. Thigh gaps are a dangerous beauty ideal that can cause overexercising, extreme dieting, and anxiety.
What is a thigh gap? The "thigh gap" is the space between the thighs when standing upright with the feet together. Essentially, it just means someone's inner thighs don't touch or rub against each other. "[The thigh gap] is not a standard of health, but an aesthetic standard that is often recommended for women.
Something that's the new thigh gap is a new bodily beauty standard that people want to obtain or show off. It can be used sarcastically to call attention to the fleeting and arbitrary nature of such trends as well.
Can everyone have a thigh gap? Short story: No. And for good reason – we're all different. 'For some people, a thigh gap is a natural part of their bone structure and genetics,' says Dr Rekha Tailor, GP, cosmetic doctor and medical director at Health & Aesthetics.
The primary determining factor for whether you have a thigh gap isn't body weight, a healthy diet or strength training – it's the width of your hips. Yup, that's it! People with wider hip bones are more likely to have a natural thigh gap, and people with narrow-set hip bones are less likely to have one.
Unless you are underweight or have femurs that are extremely bowed or your hip joints live unusually far apart inside the pelvis, your thighs will touch.
Legs are considered to be one of the most sexualized elements of a woman's body for their erogenous nature, where “inside of the upper leg has the most sensitive and delicate skin.”14 The essence of women's bodies is considered to lie between their legs. This is their power and what genders them.
It is a hollow cavity that can appear at the top of the legs when standing with feet together. Few women achieve a thigh gap without the assistance of genetics, extreme dieting, or even surgery. In most cases, a thigh gap means a body is underweight.
Origin of the phenomenon. The thigh gap first received widespread news coverage in December 2012 after the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show which featured several models with noticeable thigh gaps. Images of thigh gaps featured in "thinspiration" blogs and across social networking sites.
"Hip dips are entirely caused by genetics and the shape of your pelvis. When someone has hip dips, this means that their hip bone is located higher than their femur, which causes their muscles and fat to curve inwards." Our bodies are what they are.
What causes inner thigh fat? Inner thigh fat can be the result of either weight gain, genetics, age or hormonal changes. Inner thigh fat is often stubborn and doesn't go away with just diet and exercise. The shape of our thighs is not always something we can change.
Contrary to the body shapes of most supermodels, the hourglass figure is more round and curvy, with a well-defined waistline, fuller hips and bust/chest and generous thighs.
The thigh gap may have been trending back in the 00s, but it's still disturbingly relevant today. Some creators on TikTok are trying to change that.
Based on weight and height, a healthy body mass is classed as being between 18.5 and 24.9 on the scale. However, taking a lifestyle to the extremities in a quest for a slight gap between the thighs could lead to a BMI lower than 18.5, meaning a person's health, fertility and life expectancy could all be put at risk.
Why doesn't everyone have one? Some bodies have the thigh gap and others don't. Everyone's body is unique, and it is all down to a mix of genetic predispositions including: What is your bone structure?
The main reason that you may have skinny legs is your genetics. Everyone is predisposed to carry fat and muscle in different areas of the body. It's possible that your genetics make it difficult for you to grow big legs, even if you're able to easily build muscle in your upper body.
Straight and slender legs are considered especially attractive, say researchers because they combine fragility and strength.
Women consider longer-legged men more physically appealing than their stumpier counterparts, a study has found. Research involving more than 200 men and women revealed that people whose legs are 5% longer than average are considered the most attractive, regardless of their gender.
“Crossing our legs allows our muscles to relax so it feels good,” Barbara Kerr, founder of Transform Body and Mind, tells Stylist. “It takes the pressure off the abdominals and core, so it can feel pleasant.”
In practise, it's rare enough that something like 5% women in this world will have a natural thigh gap without resorting to drastic and dangerous measures. Despite this (or maybe because of this) teeny, tiny percentage, thigh gaps have become the most coveted “It accessory”.
Stand straight before a mirror with your back upright, your left and right knees touching each other. If you see space between your inner thighs, you've got yourself a thigh gap.
Whether a woman's inner thighs touch depends on bone structure, shape of the pelvic girdle and how far apart the hip bones are, in addition to weight, Guarda says. “Most women's thighs touch somewhere from between their crotch and their knees,” even at a healthful thin weight, she says.
In their study, Vartanian et al4 concluded that a wide upper thigh, with an optimal transition from the buttock to the thigh, was the most attractive shape.