People classified as having an asthenic body type or constitutional weakness, or the study of such conditions.
From asthenic, used as a plural noun or collective term for individuals displaying asthenic characteristics.
In early 20th-century psychology, researchers would classify populations as 'asthenics,' 'athletics,' or 'pyknics' based on body shape—a system now completely discredited but that shows how science sometimes goes down strange paths.
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