Among the cultures created by social media, the challenge is a representative example, with a trend of various content emerging to allow many people to participate. The Leggings Leg Challenge, which is currently a hot topic, is a challenge to evaluate the shape of the legs when wearing leggings, and it is controversial because it considers a gap between the thighs as the standard for beautiful legs.
The Leggings Leg Challenge Craze
The Leggings Leg Challenge, which originated from TikTok in the United States, is spreading worldwide. The number of participants, primarily teenagers, is increasing as they validate their leggings legs. Leggings Legs refer to the appearance of a gap between the thighs when standing with both feet together after wearing leggings that fit the body. It started by certifying this appearance as a symbol of a slim body to be proud of.
A Positive Perspective on the Leggings Leg Challenge
Some women use the leggings leg to express confidence in their legs and form a positive body image. There is also a positive interpretation that the leggings leg trend can be linked to the ‘Body Positivity’ movement, which respects various body types and loves one’s body.
It Can Induce Eating Disorders
However, this trend of showing off thigh gaps can enforce body standards that sacrifice health and can potentially lead to eating disorders, experts warn. There are concerns, especially as children will likely encounter and participate in the trend through TikTok.
A Society Imposing Unrealistic Standards
Not all women can have a gap between their thighs. It can vary depending on genetic factors or individual body fat. Still, the leggings leg challenge imposes unrealistic beauty standards and puts unnecessary pressure on women, causing furrowed brows.
Is a Thigh Gap the Standard for a Slim Body?
Thigh muscles account for about 40% of the total body, so training your thighs to burn a lot of energy is important. The appearance of not touching the thighs may be the standard for a slim body visually. Still, it can be skinny fat, and since the thigh is the center of all actions, such as walking, running, sitting, and standing, if the thigh muscles are lacking, you can easily fall and can be accompanied by pain in the waist or pelvis.
Thin Thighs Can Negatively Affect Health
The muscles in our body are closely linked to metabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes. These diseases can cause severe complications that may result in early death, so it is essential to be cautious. In 2003, a study conducted in the Netherlands revealed that the larger the thigh circumference, the lower the incidence of diabetes. This highlights the importance of thigh muscles in preventing metabolic disorders. However, it is crucial to note that this finding only applies when the circumference is significant due to muscle mass rather than fat. In men, if the thigh circumference is less than 17 inches, the likelihood of developing diabetes is four times higher than when it is 23.6 inches or more. Similarly, in women, if the thigh circumference is less than 17 inches, the probability of getting diabetes is 5.4 times higher than when it is 22.4 inches or more.
Platforms Recognizing the Issue and Offering Alternatives
Platforms that have recognized these problems are each offering alternatives and preparing measures to prevent the challenge from spreading any further. YouTube announced last year through its official blog that it will limit the repeated recommendation of videos on specific categories or topics to teenage users. The European Union has also been enforcing strong sanctions against social media channels such as YouTube and Facebook since the end of August last year, imposing heavy fines for violations such as recommending diet-related videos to teenagers or having the auto-play feature enabled for minors.
The Long-Standing Craze for Certifying Slim Bodies
Since 2012, platforms like Tumblr have presented a thigh gap as the ideal body shape for all women, leading to a global diet craze to lose thigh fat. A few years ago, the A4 Paper Challenge, which involved uploading verification shots covering the waist with an A4 paper, was popular. Among American teenage girls, the Thigh Gap, a gap between the thighs like skinny models, was trendy and controversial.
It Can Lead to Emotional Problems
The phenomenon of longing for extremely skinny bodies can lead to eating disorders and emotional and cognitive problems. Experts argue that the mistaken perception that a skinny body is a pretty body can increase the risk significantly for young children, and promoting such challenges or being exposed to related content without protection should be prohibited.
Being Thin Isn’t Necessarily Healthy
Many teenagers these days are dieting excessively and suffering from eating disorders due to social pressure to have a thin body. However, excessive dieting can lead to binge eating, diet obsession, and anorexia – a condition where food is refused and cannot be eaten. A thin body may not always indicate good health, and you should not take the numbers on the scale as an absolute standard. Even with the same weight, the ratio of muscle to body fat is essential. A thin body may have less muscle and more body fat, which can cause cardiovascular disease or metabolic syndrome. Instead of focusing on weight and appearance, developing healthy exercise and eating habits is more important. This will help you achieve the ideal muscle-to-body fat ratio rather than trying to reach an unrealistic and potentially harmful body image.
Most Commented