Chinese women are showing off their thin waists behind a sheet of paper

A worrying meme on the rise.
 By 
Alicia Tan
 on 
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

It seems like the never-ending quest for the "ideal" body has resulted in a series of bizarre memes.

In recent months, we've seen people posting pictures of their thigh gaps, belly buttons and pens under their boobs, causing us to wonder who even came up with these challenges in the first place.

Now, it looks like the Internet has gone one step further to pressure women to prove that they have tiny midriffs with the "A4 waist challenge."


You May Also Like

For the challenge, women are required to take photos of themselves with a piece of A4 printer paper in front of their waists. 

The width of an A4 paper is eight inches, and women are trying to prove that their waistlines are narrower than that.

The A4 waist challenge started in China around February and has seen hordes of Chinese women taking to their Weibo accounts to show off their trim waistlines.

Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable


Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Since the challenge took off, Weibo now has millions of photos with the hashtag #A4waist. It was only a matter of time before this worrying challenge influenced women in other parts of Asia to take part in it too.



Like its predecessors, the A4 waist challenge has invited its fair share of controversy and mockery.

Many netizens have criticised the challenge for encouraging women to have unhealthy body image issues.

One Weibo user Joe Wong mocked the challenge by posting a selfie of himself covering his face with an A4 paper with a caption saying: "I have A4 face."

Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Another commenter, going by the name Saque, insinuated that her cat stood a better chance at having the ideal waistline than women did.

Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Others have also commented that people should rotate the A4 paper sideways to landscape format for a more realistic waist measurement.

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.


Topics Memes

Mashable Image
Alicia Tan

Alicia Tan was an Asia Deputy Editor at Mashable. She has over 11 years of experience in journalism, magazine production and content publishing; specialising in women's lifestyle, fashion and beauty. When she's not writing, she's obsessing over Totoro, Ryan Gosling and online shopping.

Mashable Potato

Recommended For You
Honor launches super-thin Magic V6 foldable phone alongside new laptop and tablet
Honor Magic V6

Super Bowl 2026 cheat sheet: Players, performers, storylines to watch
iillustration showing sam darnold, bad bunny, and drake maye

'Pokémon Pokopia': How to make paper
Bulbasaur greeting Ditto in Pokopia

Anthropic: Chinese AI firms created 24,000 fraudulent accounts for 'distillation attacks'
Deepseek logo is displayed on a mobile phone screen with the flag of China in background

How to watch Japan vs. Chinese Taipei in the 2026 World Baseball Classic online for free
Shohei Ohtani of team Japan warms up

Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 3, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 3, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 2, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone

What's new to streaming this week? (April 3, 2026)
A composite of images from film and TV streaming this week.

The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!