Idols, particularly K-pop idols, are more often than not admired in ways strangers should never be. Little girls beg for makeup that their biased (favorite member of the band) advertises, women attend their concerts only to get lost in the performer’s beauty—wondering “Why don’t I look like that? How can I look like that?”
Men are equally interested with ravenous gazes. Fans become borderline psychopathic, following idols home, taking pictures where camera lenses shouldn’t snap pictures of without consent, writing death threats in hand-written notes or sneaking envelopes explaining, in excruciating detail, the pleasure they could experience if only they’d have some private time together. Idols who succeed being a trainee and earn the respect of the public eye are paid like royalty, but the worship they receive is more than enough to toss the crown and leave the throne behind.
Their skin is like paper— fair and clear. Their hair is pure silk—smooth and shiny. Their eyes are like Summer skies—massive and bright. Their bodies are walking perfections that many would starve themselves to fit in. What admirers don’t realize however, is that idols do indeed starve. Sure, in Korea sizes for clothing generally run smaller than the sizes in America, but it goes much farther than that. It’s starvation with a label of a diet. It’s having a fridge full of nothing and a belly empty of calories, it’s wishing the glass on the mirror could be broken as easily as human bones.
Too many times, idols are forced to have those experiences under their belts just to call themselves skinny. There is little that passes through the judgey eyes of fans. So, no, that extra chub on that idol’s cheeks won’t go unnoticed, neither will their bloated belly as they dance. And to make sure that doesn’t happen…they go on these so-called “diets.”
IU, a singer and actress, only ate an apple for breakfast, sweet potatoes for lunch, and one protein shake per day— typically for dinner, along with tons of water. Though those foods are healthy, it’s not enough to sustain someone throughout an entire day. In fact, it’s incredibly low on calories and can cause extreme health complications. The idol herself has shared the fact that she struggled against the eating disorder bulimia.
Despite her declaring it’s dangerous and not something she stands by after she had gone through her own personal experiences, the internet created her “diet” to be a challenge or trend of some sorts. They were too focused on the fact that she had lost 5 kilograms in five days rather than the reason as to why she did it to begin with. The expectation is that idols should be slim enough to fall right through the concrete cracks in the middle of sidewalks.
Momo from TWICE was given an ultimatum by GYP (one of the big three South Korean multinational entertainment and record label companies) in which she’d lose 7 kilograms, which is equivalent to 15.43 pounds, in order to participate in a showcasing as a trainee. And if she wasn’t able to, then she wouldn’t perform. For a week she only ate one ice cube per day. She was constantly spitting out her saliva; hoping it would assist her lose her water weight before her deadline. It doesn’t end there. Day in and day out, she was exercising more than her body could handle. Ultimately, she wasn’t able to get rid of the weight, which is why she was given three extra days to do so. She regained the exact weight she was trying so desperately to lose immediately after the show. She was around 18-years-old then, and Momo has shared that during that time she was going to bed with tears in her eyes—worried if she’d wake up the next morning.
There’s even a mathematical formula that companies have their girl groups abide by to ensure they’re skinny as can be. They’ll take an idol’s wait—in centimeters, then they’ll subtract 120 from that number. The result will be how much an idol’s ideal weight is expected to be in kilograms. For example: 5’4″ is equivalent to 162.56 centimeters. Subtract 120 from that. The answer is 42.56 kilograms. And in pounds, that’s 93.83 pounds! In America, the average woman whose height is 5 foot four is approximately 108-142 pounds.
Male idols have experiences relating to being body shamed online as well. Agencies force them to loose weight, having to put their health on the line for their careers. Like Stray Kids member Felix, who went on a water “diet” for three days and only ate bone broth soup for another day to attend the Louis Vuitton Fall Winter in Paris for 2024-2025. He explained on an online live that be believed it to be worth it, but that he was excited to eat chicken again.
Even Jimin, from one of the most popular boy bands, BTS, has had to “diet” in harmful ways. Back in the “Wings Era” he began to OMAD (one meal a day) for ten days straight. For some individuals going on an OMAD diet could be beneficial, and under the right circumstances, healthy. However, Jimin was going through intense training and rigorous exercise for there upcoming album which featured a song “Blood Sweat & Tears.” He believed he needed a certain type of aesthetic to loose weight for. It doesn’t take a health expert to realize Jimin needed more than one meal a day to sustain himself through his intense exercise routines and dance rehearsals. Aside from that, fans were already criticizing his involvement in the group. He was the last one to join and just barely passed through being a trainee. Fans described him as “chubby,” though he didn’t fit the standards of an idol. Not only was he fatigued, but he shared that often times, during dance rehearsals, he would faint.
It goes without saying, but “dieting” in such harmful ways can cause double a dozen health complications, physically, emotionally, and mentally:
- fatigue
- nutrient deficiencies
- muscle loss
- digestive issues
- Hormonal imbalances
- fraternal risks
- non-cyclic menstrual cycles
- weakened immune system
- anxiety
- depression
- lack of concentration / brain fog
- social withdrawals
- constipation
- irregular body temperatures
- electrolyte imbalances
- hair loss & frail skin
- bloating
- toxic relationship with food
- Low self-esteem
- higher risks for eating disorders
- metabolic slowdown
- irritability & mood swings
- dehydration
- Low blood sugar
This list just scratches the surface. It’s ridiculous that idols have to endure some of the things listed above only to have a slim waist or a define six pack—just to box themselves in unrealistic body standards.
Enough is enough. If you take anything away from this, I hope it’s these things:
- an idol’s body is none of your concern unless you are some sort of doctor or they come to you about it
- to diet in healthy ways, to know that love isn’t measured by a number on a scale
- to expand your knowledge, to brighten the dark areas in the industry that are dim
- to remind you that you never see behind the scenes of a stage, unless you’ve played in it
If you believe the hateful chants from your seats are excusable because you haven’t watched the trailer, maybe you shouldn’t have bought a ticket in the first place. It’s not like the audience can get their hands on the entirety of a script.
