Why the A4 waist challenge is ridiculous

It feels like every few months, there's always a new 'fitness' related challenge or trend taking center stage. Just last year, it was the ridiculous belly button challenge, and now? It's the A4 waist challenge. Apparently, the newest way to decide if you've got the ideal body is to hold up a piece of paper against your waist. Makes sense, doesn't it? 

The challenge started in China and was mostly present on the popular social media site Weibo from around February. Women are asked to take a selfie of them standing and holding an A4 paper (8.3 inches) in front of their waists. If your waist is smaller than the width of the paper, you've passed the test. Who needs to check BMI and body fat percentages, when we've got this test?

The challenge has of course gone viral, but thankfully, a great deal of it is negative. If you search the tag on Instagram, there are hundreds of pictures already up. On one hand, you've got the posts of girls actually participating in the challenge.

If you've got a naturally thin waist, kudos to you! If you've got anything else, you deserve the same cheer. It doesn't matter what size your waist is, as long as you are healthy and happy.

Women come in all different shapes and sizes. No challenge out there, not the thigh gap challenge, or the belly button challenge or this A4 waist challenge comes even close to indicating anything worth knowing. This trend is trash, just like all other internet trends because they push this idea of the 'perfect body'. Newsflash: there is none!