Photo: VCG

 As Chinese celebrities competed in fashion and social media influence at the Weibo Awards Ceremony on Sunday, one actress became the center of public debate not due to her winning style, but because she had to go to the hospital after the ceremony for having been hurt by her too-tight dress.

Actress Zhang Meng, who is also a producer, wore a green Victorian-style dress complete with corset to the ceremony that night. In the photos and videos that have since gone viral on Sina Weibo, the tight corset indeed made Zhang seem very slim. 

The dress got many compliments from fans as Zhang took to the red carpet, with many applauding her "elegant dress."

However, it seems that Zhang cinched the corset a bit too tight as Zhang posted a photo of her hospital registration receipt on Sina Weibo on Monday, along with a post explaining that she went to a Shanghai hospital because she felt extreme pain in her ribs after wearing the dress on Sunday night. 

The hashtag "My figure's price is my health" has gone viral on Sina Weibo, earning more than 260 million views as of Tuesday.

Zhang's experience has sparked anxiety among Chinese netizens about the excessive pursuit of the perfect figure.

A Sina Weibo account of a medical information platform explained that corset dresses deform the body to make the wearer's waist appear thinner.

"When the waist is tightened, the ribs are pushed inward and downward, and the organs inside the ribs might experience a range of problems under such pressure. Corsets and clothing that are too tight can harm one's health and should not be promoted," a doctor surnamed Wu with the orthopedics department of a hospital in North China's Shanxi Province told the Global Times on Tuesday.

Many netizens have realized the harm such a style can cause and called for people to prioritize health over fashion and beauty.

But there are still some fashion outlets popularizing and promoting Zhang's dress on social media and getting support from some netizens.

"Of all the clothes and styles of all the celebrities who appeared at the Weibo Award Ceremony, this green one was my favorite," female Sina Weibo user "menglihai" commented.