Bekah, a former member of the group After School, criticized the extreme appearance management system of K-Pop idols.
On the 23rd, Bekah posted on her SNS, "To be honest, I struggled with my weight during my K-Pop life. The dieting methods were different, and I chased after a specific appearance or number," adding, "Everything was unsustainable."
In the video released alongside her post, Bekah is seen expressing her excitement while wearing a bikini at a beach.
Bekah stated, "Back then, I didn't understand how to lose weight properly, but now I eat healthily while building muscle and getting enough sleep," emphasizing, "It took time to find the right dieting method, but the biggest lesson I learned is to always respect your body."
The extreme dieting of K-Pop idols has been a significant issue for some time. The entertainment industry considers dieting an essential element for the visual symbolism and appeal of idols, thus putting effort into their body management.
While strict diet management and exercise are important, the use of somewhat extreme and excessive methods for this purpose has become problematic.
For instance, former Lovelyz member Lee Mi-joo recently revealed on a show, "I ate one chicken breast in the morning and didn't eat anything for the rest of the day," while singer Sunmi shared her experience of suffering from excessive dieting, reducing her weight to about 41kg.
Meanwhile, Bekah, born in 1989, debuted as a rapper in After School in 2009. After leaving the group in 2011, she returned to her hometown in Hawaii to study design.
Recently, she shared her engagement news with a post saying "YES!" after being proposed to by her boyfriend.
[Ji Seung-hoon, Star Today Reporter]
