Chinese Netizens Show Off Slim Waists in 'A4 Challenge'

Already passed the “belly button test"? Is the “coins on collarbone challenge" so last year? Well then Chinese netizens have a new measure of fitness for you: the A4 Waist Challenge.

Several web users and celebrities in China, including actress Yuan Shanshan and Wang Likun, have been sharing photos on Weibo of them covering up their waists with a sheet of paper. Thousands of Chinese have already joined the frenzy.

A4 papers measure 21.0 by 29.7 centimeters (8.27 by 11.69 inches), so if you have a waist less than 21 centimeters in width, you are considered to have passed the test.

Of course, not everyone can measure up. A user named Cindy joked, “I am not showing off. I am better than size A4! I am size A3! And please, put the paper sideways!” (The A3 paper measures 29.7 by 42.0 centimeters, or 11.69 by 16.53 inches).

But some netizens have condemned the latest slimness fad for going too far. One Weibo user wrote, “For us fatties, living is so weary."

An article circulating online even warned people not to be “hijacked” by A4 waists, which the author says can lead to morbid pursuit of slimness.

[Images via Weibo]