K-pop stars' extreme diets worry fans as they suffer from low blood pressure, fainting
K-pop singer HyunA / Captured from Instagram
K-pop singers' extreme diets are concerning fans after the stars shared their past experiences on different platforms.
In the latest revelation, solo artist HyunA said Saturday that her obsession with thinness led her to faint approximately 12 times a month.
"I wanted to have a beautiful body shape and perform well on stage, but that actually made me pass out," the 31-year-old said on the reality show "Omniscient Interfering View."
In 2020, she disclosed that she has been suffering from vasovagal syncope, a condition that causes people to faint when their bodies overreact to certain triggers, like intense emotional distress.
HyunA added, "I became obsessed with being skinny after grabbing people's attention with my body figure. In the past, I did not eat anything for a week to film a commercial and ate one piece of pizza for two hours after finishing the shooting ... I ended up getting hypotension, with my blood pressure falling by 40 mm Hg."
During the show, her manager of 12 years said, "HyunA fainted several times due to nutritional deficiencies. As the staff worked with her for a long time, they each developed their own roles. The makeup artist senses things from her facial expressions, and the stylist tries not to put her in clothes that are too tight. I'm also keeping a close eye on her as much as possible."
Although she said she has changed her eating habits and gained about eight kilograms, her story has brought people's attention to other K-pop stars who had similar experiences.
Sana, a Japanese member of girl group TWICE, recently said on YouTube that she ate just eight cherry tomatoes a day when she was an idol trainee.
Last year, Kwon Eun-bi, formerly of the now-defunct project group IZ*ONE, revealed that she only ate three apples in three days.
"As a trainee, I had to lose weight and look pretty so that I can grab the chance to debut," Kwon said on the talk show "Strong Heart League."
"When I had to weigh myself, I went to the toilet beforehand to spit and also tried to sweat, hoping to shed water weight."
Although fans understand the singers' desire for physical beauty, many point out that extreme diets are risky for their health and that they can encounter diverse side effects such as anemia, osteoporosis, hair loss and depression.
"Health still should be their top priority," a fan said on the popular Korean online community forum The Qoo.
Another wrote, "I can see why they are becoming obsessive ... It is important for everyone to avoid commenting on other people's looks."