Looking beautiful vs feeling healthy

Today, a slender figure has become some women's obsessive pursuit. The iPhone 6 legs, 100-yuan wrists and A4 waist are all part of that craze. Such women are least interested in doctors' warnings that too thin a waist is harmful for people's health.

In fact, such is the beauty fad that every week sees a new "standard" emerge, leaving tens of thousands of women delighted or dejected depending on whether they meet or fail to meet the new "criterion".

Some of the "standards" might be created just for fun. But when women open their web pages and see rows of iPhone 6 legs day after day, the pressure on some of them to fit the bill is bound to mount. Add to this some celebrities' tongue-in-cheek comments, such as "how can you survive this summer without an A4 waist?", and you have an example of cyber violence.

There is nothing wrong in pursuing a slim figure. But if a woman does so because of a fad, she should know that she is being led by the nose by notional standards of beauty.

For generations, feminists have been fighting for equality and freedom from prejudice. Now, A4 sheets, 100-yuan notes and iPhones 6 are threatening to offset their gains and add fresh links to women's shackles.

There is no perfect template for beauty. Nor is there any point in blindly following idiosyncratic standards of beauty. Celebrities hitchhike on the online craze to draw more attention to themselves. We have to keep that in mind.

One may feel good, even proud, to look "beautiful" according to the outlandish standards. But real beauty lies in being healthy of body and agile of mind.

The writer is an editor with China Daily. lifangchao@chinadaily.com.cn