Idols’ weights are under strict supervision by their companies.
In a video recently uploaded to the YouTube channel “AYO“, two former K-pop idol trainees, Bin Haneul and Choi Yejin opened up about the hardships they went through during the training period to debut as idols.
Yejin shared, “I always had to diet. I over ate one day and would gain weight immediately. Then I would have to run 9 laps around the company to cut down calories. The standard formula for an idol is “Height in cm – 120 = target weight”.
Haneul agreed, “You have to be really skinny to look pretty on TV. The company controls the trainees’ weight very strictly until debut. After debut, idols have to go on a lot of schedules so they will let idols eat more”.
After watching the video, most netizens feel sorry for idols who have to live up to unrealistic standards when it comes to body image. Weight control has always been taken seriously if you want to debut as an idol. Many idols even took on extreme measures just to lose weight and appear prettier on camera.
In an industry where idols’ visuals constantly come under the public’s scrutiny, the pressure also comes from malicious body-shaming comments idols face whenever they gain a bit weight.
