Apink’s Eunji Revealed Idols Starve Themselves To The Brink Of Death Preparing For Comebacks
A “successful” weight loss transformation is a hot issue with every girl group’s comeback, especially in the summer. So the already-slim female idols in the K-Pop scene feel the need to go even skinnier, with some of the most extreme weight loss methods that, in the end, jeopardize their careers and health.
On an episode of tvN‘s Life Bar, Apink‘s Eunji talked about the brutal reality that K-Pop girl group members have to face when it comes to weight — that no matter how much weight they have shed already, there is more to be lost.
Apink’s Eunji received a lot of “fat shaming” when she first debuted. As a result, she felt the need to rely on pills to reduce her appetite so that she could drop in sizes.
Eunji began taking more than the suggested dose of the anorectics, hoping to speed up the weight loss process. As a result, she suffered severe depression.
I got all the wrong information and tried losing weight the fast way. Eventually, the intense weight loss caused me to lose my voice and become very unhealthy. I couldn’t sing for months. I ended up getting severely depressed. That was a really hard time for me.
— Eunji
Of course, Eunji isn’t the only one that went through an intense weight loss to learn the lesson the hard way. TWICE‘s Momo also talked about her “lose 15 pounds in 7 days” plan.
On a live broadcast, Momo explained she almost died trying to meet the “weight standard” of a debuting girl group. Because the agency requested that she lose 15 pounds before the showcase stage, Momo decided to quit eating and drinking for a week.
I stopped eating. I stopped drinking. I didn’t even swallow my own spit because I thought it would add to the weight. When I went to bed, I lay down and thought I might not be able to wake up the next morning. I couldn’t help but cry… I worried that I might not get up after falling asleep. I was so scared.
— Momo
For girl group members, eating disorders are no surprise. When Oh My Girl‘s JinE was diagnosed with anorexia from the pressure to maintain a “presentable weight” as an idol, she decided to leave the group to take care of herself, both physically and mentally. Fans supported JinE’s way to recovery and became aware of the toxic pressure for these celebrities to be unreasonably thin.
Oh My Girl’s JinE Permanently Leaves Group, Writes A Letter Explaining Why
Unfortunately, many Korean netizens don’t see this as a serious problem. In fact, some even believe it is only a small price to pay for the money these stars end up making.
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“No one asked you to be a girl group. If you can’t handle the heat, then get out of the kitchen.”
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“You get paid unimaginable amounts of money to be that skinny though. Just suck it up.”
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“Hey, I’d gladly starve myself to the brink of death if I got paid what these girls get paid.”
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“Looking good is a part of the job that you chose… You can’t complain when you chose to go down this path.”
- “Why are they complaining? They weren’t forced. They chose to do so. Why are they complaining???”
