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'Skeletally thin': Health authorities warn against 'bone arms' trend circulating online

Published: 31 Jul. 2025, 11:30

The Korea Health Promotion Institute is warning against a growing trend on social media that promotes excessively thin body types — such as the so-called bone arms — as ideals of beauty. [KOREA HEALTH PROMOTION INSTITUTE]

With summer approaching, health authorities are sounding the alarm over a growing trend on social media that promotes excessively thin body types — such as the so-called bone arms — as ideals of beauty.

According to the Korea Health Promotion Institute on Thursday, the term "bone arms" refers to unnaturally thin arms where the outline of the bones is prominently visible. It is one of several distorted body image ideals that fall well outside the range of healthy body weight.

A growing number of posts on social media channels feature celebrities and influencers presenting extreme thinness as the ideal physique.

Some medical clinics have also adopted keywords like "bone arms" and "skeletally thin" in commercial marketing campaigns to promote fat-reduction and liposuction procedures.

The institute warned that such trends could lead to dangerous behaviors like extreme weight loss or eating disorders, including so-called pro-ana attitudes — where individuals glamorize or encourage anorexia.

According to the National Health Insurance Service, the number of patients diagnosed with eating disorders rose from 9,474 in 2020 to 13,129 in 2023, a 39 percent increase over three years.

The institute advised healthy approaches to weight management, such as eating meals at regular times, avoiding distractions during meals, making exercise part of daily routines and tracking both food intake and physical activity.

"Distorted body images like ‘bone arms’ pose a serious threat to public health and have particularly negative effects on youth and women," said the institute’s president Kim Heon-joo. "This is a serious social issue and should not be dismissed as a passing trend."

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY KIM EUN-BIN [[email protected]]