These eight female idols underwent several diets to lose weight.
It's no secret that female idols in the industry are all expected to fit a certain mold: talented, pretty, and skinny. While some girls are naturally blessed with a fast metabolism, the same cannot be said for all. Due to the immense pressure to stay slim, some K-pop idols have undergone dangerous diets to shed the pounds.
Here are eight dangerous diets female idols have gone through. We do not recommend people follow the same diet, as it is unhealthily low in calories and does not contain all the nutrients needed in a day. Please consult a dietician if you wish to go on a new diet.
1. aespa Ningning
When Ningning debuted, she faced criticism that she was too "fat" compared to the other members. In response to the backlash over her figure, Ningning went on a strict diet to shed the pounds. With each comeback, she was shedding more weight, and by the time the group started promoting "Spicy," people claimed she looked completely different.
Ningning once revealed that to lose weight, she only ate once a day. Oftentimes, she would choose to only eat breakfast. While doing this is alright for a short period, only eating one meal per day for an extended period actually slows down your metabolism.
2. TWICE Momo
TWICE member Momo's diet story is one of the most infamous idol diet stories. During a live stream, Momo revealed she was instructed to lose 7kg (around 15 lbs) in one week. She claimed that she was told that if she failed to lose the pounds, she would not be able to debut and join the girls for the showcase.
Momo revealed that she didn't eat anything for a week and spent the majority of her time in the gym. She tried to spit out everything in her body, including her own saliva, so that there would be no water in her body. The idol confessed that she was afraid to go to sleep because she was afraid she wouldn't wake up again. The TWICE members revealed they were scared over how pale she was becoming.
Momo resorted to eating ice cubes for a whole week and feared even that would cause her to gain weight. At the end of the week, she had successfully lost weight. After she was told she succeeded, she ate everything she wanted and gained the 7kg back the following week.
3. Red Velvet Seulgi
In 2017, Seulgi revealed she underwent an extreme diet before the group's debut. She revealed that, though her weight back then was not so different from her weight now, she was asked by her agency to shed some pounds. Seulgi then underwent an extreme diet to lose weight.
The idol basically starved herself. When she couldn't stand it anymore, Seulgi would drink some soy milk and persevere through her hunger. In the end, she lost 2kg (around 4.4 lbs).
4. Jeon Somi
Back in 2016, while still promoting with I.O.I., Jeon Somi was asked about her diet during a variety show appearance. During the program, Jeon Somi revealed she only ate one banana for breakfast, lunch, and evening.
According to Jeon Somi, she lost four kilograms (approximately 8.8 lbs) from the diet after just one week. In 2021, Jeon Somi took on the diet again in preparation for her "DUMB DUMB" comeback. By the time she started performing, Jeon Somi only weighed 46kg.
5. aespa Karina
Karina's entry on this list focuses less on diet than her exercise routine. She is known to be extremely athletic and works out for over four hours a day. The idol has a private trainer who helps with her workouts and does typical gym workouts mixed with pilates. The aespa member also practices the group's choreography rigorously.
While exercise is great, too much can have negative effects on their health. Over-exercising can lead to muscle breakdown, fatigue, and hormonal imbalances.
6. (G)I-DLE Soyeon
Before her debut with (G)I-DLE, Soyeon enlisted an extremely dangerous diet to help her shed some pounds. For a day, the idol would only have one iced Americano.
This is an extremely dangerous diet. The drink lacks any nutrients and can lead to several health issues, such as acid reflux. A 16-ounce iced Americano only contains 15 calories, which means she was not getting the required daily calorie intake she should have. Cafeeine is also a diuretic, which can lead to being dehydrated.
7. IU
IU's extreme diet immediately went viral after it was revealed. During her 20s, IU revealed that she followed a strict regimen of eating an apple for breakfast, a sweet potato for lunch, and a protein shake for dinner. After following this diet, IU lost 7kg (15.4 lbs) in one week.
While apples and sweet potatoes have some vitamins and nutrients, they are not nearly the amount needed for a day. It will not provide any energy throughout the day. In some cases, this could just lead to being more sleepy, but in more severe cases, one could lose consciousness.
8. Red Velvet Wendy
During the group's "Dumb Dumb" day, Wendy was the victim of fat-shaming, with people claiming her thighs were too big. Just a year later, the group came back with "Russian Roulette," and Wendy had lost a considerable amount of weight and continued to stay shockingly thin throughout her career.
In 2018, Wendy revealed she once followed a strict diet plan. During "severe" times, she would blend milk, cabbage, black beans, and apples and drink that as her breakfast. She would exercise by jumping rope 10,000 times. For her dinner, she would have one packet of pumpkin juice.
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Written by Alexa Lopez
