‘Rib Cage Bragging’: Beware Of This New Body Trend

“My darling, you have such wonderful…ribs.” Yes, apparently ribs are what some people are now looking for and what some celebrities are showing off on Instagram and other social media platforms. No, this doesn’t mean displaying ribs sold at Dickey’s Barbecue Pit. Rather, a new celebrity Instagram craze (according to Lindsey Kelsey for the Daily Mail) dubbed “rib cage bragging” is posing in a manner to clearly show your rib cage. The more rib cage you show, the more you effectively “brag.” Of course, the thinner you are, the more your ribs may show…and once celebrities do something, others follow, sometimes to the extreme. Gee, what then could possibly go wrong?

So far, this “beauty” trend appears to be focused on women, because women just don’t have enough beauty trends to follow. Men have not been major targets of the thigh gap (having space between your thighs when you stand) and the ab crack (a line going straight down the middle your abdomen, basically a butt crack but longer and in your front and higher up) thinness trends that have some similarity to this rib cage one. Also, most men would require X-rays to be able to show their ribs in a picture. Indeed, the celebs mentioned in this trend have been women, such as Bella Hadid:

#RibcageBragging la nueva y peligrosa tendencia en las redes sociales qué consiste en marcar las costillas.

FernandaF pic.twitter.com/4LoEMTo0eO

— Fernanda Familiar (@qtf) May 17, 2017

And this news report cites Kourtney Kardashian and Rita Ora as also flashing their rib cages:

Now, it’s unclear whether these three celebs were purposely trying to draw attention to their rib cages. Nevertheless, their poses end up accentuating their ribs, and as a result, others have taken notice. While people have ogled over their photos, the reception has not been universally positive. For example, Hadid’s picture is accompanied by Instagram comments questioning whether she has become unhealthily thin, such as “she looks sick/unhealthy…not in a good way” and “damn, you really need some food.”

The concern is that this new trend may lead to unrealistic body expectations. Those who cannot naturally show their ribs may starve themselves, exercise to a dangerous degree or even get plastic surgery to attempt to show their ribs. “Failure” to achieve this look may lead to anxiety, depression or other emotional and mental health issues.

It goes without saying (but I’m going to say it anyways) that most people can’t be a healthy weight and have their rib cages protrude in such a manner. Remember that many models do not have “normal bodies.” They were selected and “groomed” by executives and fashion designers who want to advance a particular appearance that they like. Also, take a closer look at such rib cage photos. In each, the person is sucking in her tummy and in many cases arching her back to accentuate her rib cage. Normally, this is not how people sit, lie down, walk or exist, unless they want to talk like they are straining on the toilet. Even though a model’s rib cage can be seen in certain poses, it doesn’t mean that you can usually see the model’s rib cage. Additionally, who knows how much photos are Photoshopped these days? A few movements of the computer mouse and viola, ribs can appear while some pounds magically melt away. Interestingly, Numéro magazine did the opposite with model Karlie Kloss and Photoshopped away her ribs because they “liked that Kloss was so thin but hated that her thinness made her bones more apparent,” according to Jenna Sauers writing for Jezebel. Bottom line: photos of celebrities often do not represent reality.

Time will tell how big a trend “rib cage bragging” will become. Reegan von Wildenradt writing for Men’s Health actually thinks that it is not really a popular trend but rather one that was concocted and actively disseminated. It’s always difficult to tell what trends emerge naturally and which are artificial. Regardless, trying to emulate celebrities who show their rib cages is not a healthy thing. If you happen to naturally have a similar body type then perhaps seeing your ribs is not so bad…as long as you maintain a healthy weight, healthy diet and healthy amount of physical activity. (Rush University provides a guide to healthy weights here.) But if you don’t have such a body, don’t fret and just ignore this trend. Remember that attractive and healthy bodies come in a wide variety shapes and sizes, and not everyone wants you to look like celebrities. Besides, anyone who ribs you about not seeing your ribs may not deserve to see you at all.