Hugging the Waist While Drinking Water, Covering the Waist with A4 Paper
Criticism Grows Against Social Prejudice That "Women Must Be Slim"
[Asia Economy Culture Young Intern Reporter] As Chinese women post challenges to show off their 'slim figures,' a 'body challenge' is spreading mainly on Chinese social networking services (SNS).
According to Chinese media such as Sina.com on the 25th, the 'Waist Hugging and Drinking Water (??腰喝水挑??)' challenge is trending on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok. In this challenge, the man in a couple holds a cup full of water while hugging the woman's waist with one arm as she drinks the water.
Videos are being uploaded on various SNS platforms such as Douyin and YouTube showing men comfortably holding the woman's waist while drinking water, both showing pleased expressions. If the water is drunk without spilling, it proves the woman's waist is that slim. However, if the man fails to drink the water, the woman makes an embarrassed face and scolds him.
Challenges emphasizing a 'slim figure' continue to emerge in China. In the past, the so-called 'A4 Paper Waist Challenge,' where a 21cm-wide A4 sheet is placed against a woman's waist to see if the waist is hidden by the paper, was popular. Success proves a slim waist and becomes an object of admiration.
Not only ordinary people but also famous celebrities participate in these challenges. The 'Touch Your Navel by Turning Your Arm Backwards Challenge' gained popularity, with well-known Chinese actress Yang Mi and singer Anda posting certification photos on their Weibo accounts.
Other challenges include the 'Earphone Challenge,' where the waist is tied with earphone cords; a challenge to prove a small face by bending the arm backward to apply lipstick; and placing fish and coins on the collarbone. Actress Lyu Gahong attracted attention by placing over 80 coins on her two collarbones.
Negative views are growing regarding the obsession with a 'slim figure' and the social atmosphere that evaluates women based on this. Opinions clash between seeing the 'Slim Waist Challenge' as a typical daily behavior of young people and criticism that it fails to break away from the wrong social notion that "women must be slim and pretty."
SNS users say that while the standards for the perfect body they pursue vary, there is particularly strong pressure on body image in China, where a slender figure is idealized. Local netizens responded with comments such as "It creates strange prejudices about women's bodies" and "It makes women anxious by creating new body challenges."
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