There is a new challenge that is sweeping the Internet. It is called the Belly Button Challenge.
The purpose of the challenge is supposedly to show how fit a person may or may not be. It involves a person reaching and arm around their back and touching their belly button from the other side. The person participating in the challenge posts a pic of the results online.
If a person cannot reach around their back and touch their belly button, they supposedly need to lose weight.
The challenge started in China, where thousands of people have already participated, including Chinese celebrities such as Yang Mi, Zhang Jiana and Huo Siyan. The challenge reportedly started on Weibo, which is a Twitter-like social media site popular in China. The first photo was allegedly posted on Wednesday and it was trending by Thursday night.
It also spawned 104,000 active discussion threads, according to the BBC.
Since then, people all over the world have started posting photos of their own attempts to reach their navels, according to ABC News.
Experts say that the challenge is promoting harmful misconceptions about health and weight that could promote unhealthy eating.
"Social media challenges like these can stoke comparison and body insecurity, especially for those struggling with disordered eating," National Eating Disorder Association program director Claire Mysko told ABC News. "We advocate for body positivity challenges, which are empowering and encourage self-expression, not self-criticism."
