Why are people doing the bellybutton challenge? WHY?!
You may have noticed the hashtag #bellybuttonchallenge trending over the weekend and you're probably wondering what the hell it's all about. Well, it all started on Weibo – China's version of Twitter – and it involves users posting photos of themselves reaching around their backs in an attempt to touch their belly button.
The bellybutton challenge seems to be a test to see if you've got a 'good body', if you can't do it, the next step is to lose weight until you can. Sounds moronic, doesn't it?
But it's been taking social media by storm with the hashtag having over 130 million mentions from people taking on the challenge. Though we're sure most people are just having a bit of fun with it, there is a much more worrying side to the craze that once again promotes an unhealthy body image, especially for women.
Jolene Tan, a senior manager at Aware – an organisation in Singapore which champions women’s rights – told the BBC: 'Quirky poses and pictures can be fun but, sometimes, they also become expressions of competitiveness or insecurity.'
Adding that it's 'one more way of scrutinising women's bodies to see whether they are "good enough" We need to do more to promote acceptance of diversity in women's bodies.'
We're in total agreement, plus we reckon being able to touch your belly button is more a test of flexibility than weight.
