The pressure to be thin is threatening the lives of some women in China. Being thin has always been a cultural beauty standard for women in the country, but now it has become amplified across social media. As a new generation of internet users become exposed to the latest viral “skinny enough” challenges, such as the A4 waist challenge or collarbone coin challenge, more cases of eating disorders are being reported throughout the country.
We speak to three Chinese women who have come of age in this environment and feel that perhaps there are different beauty standards in the West and in China.