We can think of a lot of ways to use printer paper, but we never guessed it would be used as a body measuring tool. Asian women are taking A4 printing paper and putting it in front of their waists to show off their slim figures, with some ladies calling it the #a4waist #challenge.

Although the challenge has been ongoing since February, if you’ve seen the shocking photos here, you know why it needs to stop immediately. Instead of promoting different body types on social media and celebrating all figures, the #a4waist hashtag is sending out the message that only skinny is in. For reference, a piece of A4 printer paper is only eight inches wide.

This viral challenge is similar to last year’s belly button challenge, where girls were encouraged to reach their arm around their backs to touch their belly button as a way to gauge if they need to lose weight. Though that trend has thankfully died out, it’s disturbing to see how many users are participating in the A4 waist challenge. On Weibo alone, the Chinese app already has millions of photos with this hashtag, and Instagram has 82 posts and counting.

Some users, however, have taken a stand against these viral photos by uploading sheets of paper that say, “Holding a piece of paper in front of your waist should not define your beauty,” followed by the hashtag #stopa4waist. One woman even cheekily wrote “A4” on a piece of paper and stuck it on her giant stuffed bear to prove how ridiculous the challenge really is. Because let’s be honest, life is more exciting when you’re including everyone in the game . . . not only those with an A4 waist.

Source: Women Are Holding Up Sheets of Printer Paper to Show Off Their Small Waists : PopSugar