Belly Button Challenge sending negative body image message?

The Belly Button Challenge has gone viral on social media sites. However, medical experts say this bizarre trend is sending a negative body image message.

The challenge reportedly started on Weibo; a Twitter-like social media site popular in China. The challenge requires someone to touch their belly buttons by reaching behind their back and around their waist.  It’s meant to show off a fit figure. However, the National Eating Disorder Association says these social media challenges can spark body comparisons and insecurities.

Local clinical therapist Melinda Brett agrees, “Anytime a child is preoccupied with the way that they look, it’s a potential precursor to an eating disorder. That’s really what’s kind of rooted in an eating disorder. It’s believing that I can find an external way to measure myself, that tells me I’m okay, then that’s going to be the solution.”

Brett says if parents spot their children posting photos like or similar to the Belly Button Challenge, they should start a conversation about positive body images. We’re also told parents should encourage the child to post more about what they do well, their accomplishments, and other dimensions of their life other than their body.