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In K-pop Extremes, we give readers a look into idols' lives beyond the glitz and glamor, uncovering a few hidden truths of the K-pop industry. Today, we are exploring the unhealthy diets thrust upon some idols and their devastating consequences.
K-pop idols are put on a pedestal of perfection when it comes to their looks, because of which many of them have been subjected to rigorous and borderline unhealthy diets that have severely impacted their health. Some diets include bland food, while others focus on starving to the point of passing out.
While on the surface, these diets might seem like a quick shortcut to losing weight, in the long run, they can cause irreversible metabolic changes and harm to the body if continued for a prolonged period.
Most K-pop idols nowadays do not follow such unhealthy regimens, but a few have shared horror stories of their diet and deteriorating health.
5 K-pop idols and the dangerous diets they followed
1) The IU diet
IU debuted in the K-pop industry at a young and impressionable age of 15, which impacted her in more ways than one could imagine. Although full of talent, the cruel online world of netizens did not spare the child and called her despicable names like "piggy" and "fatty."
IU adopted the MyProAna diet, which is heavily followed by people suffering from Anorexia, an eating disorder. On this diet, she had an apple for breakfast, two sweet potatoes for lunch, and a protein shake for dinner. Her meals consisted of her mostly starving herself to the point where her body got used to eating less. With this diet, she lost a shocking 4 kgs in four days.
This diet can cause dizziness and overall weakness in the body, and because of its severe consequences, IU weaned herself off this dangerous diet and is now a healthy eater. Unfortunately, this diet spread far and wide among YouTubers who tried to replicate her quick weight loss by trying this sham diet.
2) Xiumin's coffee diet
Since his debut, EXO's Xiumin was criticized for his "chubby" face and body. He consistently struggled with his weight issues, drastically losing and gaining weight over a brief period.
During EXO's promotions of their song Growl in 2013, Xiumin underwent an extreme coffee diet where he drank copious amounts of coffee and ate only one meal every alternate day. This tactic helped him reach his lowest weight point ever, a startling 53 kgs.
Since then, the K-pop idol has quit this detrimental diet and advised fans against starving themselves.
3) SoYou's one meal diet
The former SISTAR member, SoYou, is well-known for her ideal body proportions, but this body came at a considerable price: her health. She followed a one-meal diet where she ate only one meal a day, consisting of the egg-whites of four quail eggs and one glass of milk.
To top it up, she had a vigorous workout routine, causing her to shed more calories than she was taking in daily. This diet helped her lose 8 kgs in a month, but nutritionists believe it left her malnourished.
4) TOP's red bean diet
BIGBANG's TOP's chiseled physique was achieved due to rigorous dieting and exercise. When he joined YG Entertainment, he was informed that his weight was higher than the "acceptable" weight for idols.
To ensure his debut, he went on a mineral water and unsweetened red bean jelly diet. That's all he ate for 40 days while lifting heavy weights, causing him to lose 20 kgs in a little over a month.
Pressure from the company made him take extreme measures for his health, which were neither sustainable nor healthy.
5) Mina's water diet
One of the most infamous diets in K-pop history has to be that of Gugudan member Mina, who only drank two bottles of sparkling water the whole day and quit eating food.
She mentioned that she was highly unsatisfied with her chubby appearance on Produce 101 and was taken aback by her appearance when she wore shorts or sleeveless tops. This diet helped her lose over 13 kgs and achieve her lowest weight of 42 kgs.
Thankfully she doesn't believe in these extreme diets anymore. In a V Live broadcast, she spoke out against them and discouraged anyone from ever trying them out.
Body shaming is a rampant problem that K-pop idols are subjected to daily, online and in real life. This not only distorts the way they look at their body but also hampers their self-esteem.
Extreme diets feed on people's insecurities and cause more harm than good. Temporary satisfaction is not worth the long-term mental and physical damage, which is why more and more K-pop idols are speaking out against inhumane weight loss practices.
K-pop Extremes is a weekly series. Stay tuned for more.
