Crayon Pop’s Way criticizes extreme crash diets, voices concern over HyunA and WJSN’s Dayoung
Way speaks on her YouTube channel about “why K-pop diets fail and how to succeed.” Captured from her YouTube channel
Way, a former member of Crayon Pop, raised concerns about extreme short-term dieting in the entertainment industry, mentioning singer HyunA and WJSN’s Dayoung as recent examples of harmful practices.
Way uploaded a video titled “Why K-pop diets fail + how to succeed” on her YouTube channel Thursday, where she discussed the dangers of rapid weight-loss methods common in the industry.
“I’ve basically been dieting since my teens,” she said. “Because I worked in front of cameras, I’ve seen every kind of diet — successes and failures. The K-pop industry contains every extreme form of dieting you can imagine.”
Way said structural issues play a major role. “Most contracts last about seven years. Because idols are valued as short-term products, agencies often force harmful crash diets,” she said. “The moment people hear ‘an idol lost weight this way,’ everyone copies it. You should never follow these methods.”
She pointed to the “yo-yo effect” as the most serious consequence. “HyunA always had an incredible figure, but recently she and even Seo In-young have gained weight,” she said.
“When you hear the reasons, it’s usually the same — burnout, a reward mentality or health problems. We’re seeing the side effects now. Crash dieting should never be imitated.”
Way also mentioned WJSN’s Dayoung, who recently drew attention for significant weight loss.
“Dayoung built beautiful abs and looked amazing, so I looked into it,” she said. “She reportedly lost 12 kilograms in a short time. But unfortunately, she did it by starving. In a YouTube video, she struggled to do even one squat. When you lose weight like that, the yo-yo effect is inevitable. I wish she would focus more on exercise.”
Way expressed concern about HyunA’s recent posts as well. “After uploading her photos, HyunA blamed herself, saying things like ‘You used to be so skinny, you can do it again,’” she said.
“It was heartbreaking. She later wrote, ‘HyunA, you messed up a lot,’ which shocked me. Why would she use those words? It’s the reward mentality. That mindset leads back to starving, then regaining weight, over and over. And as you get older, starving doesn’t work because your metabolism breaks down.”
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.