Hi Redditors, TRIGGER WARNING: This post mentions eating disorders and disordered eating I'm a student dietitian and a casual K-pop lurker. I was a heavy listener when I was 12 and was instantly hooked into K-pop (2nd gen/peak of Hallyu wave) for the rest of my high school timeline and a little bit into my university life. However, the dark side of K-pop, that is disordered eating, consumed my life for at least 5 years where I developed an unhealthy relationship with food and envied the thinnest and fittest idols, hence also developed body image issues. I know there are a lot of people out there who share the same sentiment or experience as I did since some K-pop idols are notorious for saying the most unfiltered things about their diet and lifestyle bordering on dangerous to impressionable audiences. As for my educational background, I have a Bachelors in Nutrition and currently studying my Masters of Dietetics. I would be lying if I said that my history of disordered eating didn't stem from toxic diet culture radiating from K-pop underneath all the facade of glitz and glamour. I now consume K-pop content in healthy manner where I've had my share of growing up to do plus a tertiary education to UNDERSTAND the science behind food and nutrition. When I stumble upon articles mentioning how an idol went viral for going on a crazy diet to achieve their 'hot' body, I don't idolise it anymore, but rather, I feel sad for the current climate of the K-pop industry where perfectionism must be ON POINT to the detriment of the idols' mental and physical health. With that being said, I would like to do an Instagram post to my student dietitian account about the ugly truth of K-pop idol diets backed with evidence-based information. I've dabbled on this idea for many years but have never executed anything (hello imposter syndrome...). Doing this post is a step forward for me to gather what sort of nutrition information people are willing to find out more about. I've had some IG carousel post ideas which are up my alley, generated from ChatGPT include: âWhy Idol Diets Can Lead to Rebound Weight Gainâ - Talk about metabolic adaptation, muscle loss, restriction-binge cycles, and long-term impact on hormones (leptin, ghrelin) âLetâs Talk About Menstrual Health and Starvationâ - K-pop idols have shared about losing their periods due to dieting - explain energy availability and RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport) âMicronutrient Deficiencies Hiding in Idol Dietsâ - Show that even with calories, diets can lack iron, calcium, B12, etc. - Relate to fatigue, immunity, poor concentration What are some BURNING questions you have about Korea's insane diet culture and questionable nutrition information in the realm of K-pop! I'm interested in gathering a diverse range of topics so I can keep busy during my uni break which I would really appreciate! submitted by /u/Taro_BubbleTea [link] [comments]
