K-pop idols are known for their intense diets in the pursuit of maintaining a slim figure, sometimes at the expense of their health. For instance, BTS' Jin once revealed that he limited himself to just two pieces of chicken breast every day for an entire year, which almost led to malnutrition.
Similarly, the "IU Diet" has become a trend, inspired by the Korean singer and actress IU's approach to maintaining her slender frame. This diet involves eating only one type of food for each meal.
Photo via GBU
Recently, HyunA, a well-known K-pop idol, opened up about her own experiences with extreme weight loss and the toll it took on her well-being. On May 2, HyunA was a special guest on the 28th episode of 'Season B Season 4,' where she sat down for a meal with Rain and discussed her weight issues.
As they sat down, Rain greeted HyunA with a compliment: "In the time I haven't seen you, you've become prettier." HyunA replied with a surprising admission, saying, "I gained some weight now." Rain responded encouragingly, "But you look so much better now."
Rain then shared his concern, recalling, "There was a time I hadn't seen you, HyunA, for many years. When I saw you again, I thought, 'How can you be that thin?'"
HyunA revealed, "Back then, I weighed only 40kg." She went on to explain her severe dieting methods, admitting, "During that time, I only ate one piece of Kimbap when I was on my schedule. Because of this, my health declined drastically starting at age 26. I wanted to do well on stage, but I wasn't able to."
She added that this led her to question her own happiness and eventually pushed her to reassess her lifestyle, saying, "When that moment came, I asked myself, 'Is this the happiness I wanted?' From last year, I started to realise how to be thankful for the little things in life."
However, we’re glad that these unhealthy diet habits many K-pop idols once followed are gradually being replaced with healthier choices. It's crucial to emphasise that these extreme diets are not the right way to lose weight, and they pose serious risks to physical and mental health.
Instead, we should all prioritise balanced meals and a healthy lifestyle over unhealthy weight loss practices.
