Heo Young Ji struggled with binge-eating disorder after KARA's disbandment

[juhli.livejournal.com]

Heo #YoungJi Opens Up About Struggling With Eating Disorder After #KARA's Disbandment https://t.co/najBmRFox1 pic.twitter.com/lX5zHkU5YV

— Soompi (@soompi) October 28, 2018

The idol appeared on the latest installment of SBS’s documentary series “SBS Special,” titled “The World That Idols Live In — After The Stage.” The documentary, which aired on October 28, put a spotlight on the difficulties faced by many idols after their groups disband or cease active promotions.

During her interview, Heo Young Ji talked about feeling lost after KARA’s disbandment in 2016, sharing that she had even developed an eating disorder. Describing how she had felt after hearing the news, Heo Young Ji recalled, “Rather than fear, I just kept thinking, ‘What should I do?’ and ‘What can I do?'”

She went on, “When I was with [the other KARA members], I felt like they were protecting me, and it seemed like I could achieve something. But [without them], I wondered if I would be able to ever stand on stage again, and that thought made me incredibly sad.”

Heo Young Ji explained that she had begun binge-eating as an unhealthy coping mechanism. “For a brief period of time after KARA ended, I was in such a state of mental shock that I actually developed binge-eating disorder,” she said. “I ate so much. No matter how much I ate, I didn’t feel full.”

In order to evade the watchful eye of her manager, the former KARA member even took the batteries out of her front door’s entrance alert. “I removed the batteries so that the front door wouldn’t make a sound, and then I ran to the convenience store in the rain,” she recalled. “And then I ate while crying.”

“My group was gone,” she continued, “so of course I was upset. At the time, I didn’t know how to deal with my feelings.”

However, Heo Young Ji reported that in spite of everything, she had truly enjoyed her career as a girl group member. “When I think about it, there was more happiness than there were difficult times,” she said. “I’d want to be an [idol] again, but I’d also be afraid of ending up on the same path.”

Source: @soompi, Sports Choseon via soompi

Comments

[jaequeeragenda.livejournal.com]

oof i have binge eating disorder and man the things we do to sneak food, but im seeing therapy for mine and its nuts digging to the root of the real problem and binge eating is just the symptom at the end. i feel for her,

[pepsi-twist9.livejournal.com]

Poor girl. Her career was such a struggle the whole time, the hate she got for joining Kara and then having it all torn away rather quickly too. I'm hoping she's in a better place now if she's talking so candidly about it

[goshipgurl.livejournal.com]

They did her dirty, she went through that survival show and learned all of Kara's past choreos so she would be at the same level as the other 3 members, but then they only gave her two promo rounds. she got huge through variety but after Kara's disbandment they put her back to the dungeon...

[accioanime.livejournal.com]

this is the suckiest part of it all. She went through so much to earn that spot and then lose it right away. It's not like she was with them from the start and at least got to enjoy Kara's peak.

[921227.livejournal.com]

Big sad. I remember her talking about feeling selfconscious next to the other members and going on big diets to lose weight & now its a reverse. I hope shes getting help and support

She had (has) such great potential & i really wish DSP would find something big for her than itty bitty guestings -- its difficult finding recent schedules for her

[lightframes.livejournal.com]

Poor Youngji. She was a great addition to the group. I hope she's doing better now.

[sra-interesante.livejournal.com]

that's sad ... kpop industry encourage all kind of unhealthy habits on idols, they ruin their bodies and minds for a career that isnt even guaranteed


i hope she's getting profesional help :/

[timetobegin.livejournal.com]

I suffer from the same issues, although it's gone undiagnosed for most of my life... minus my old gp making a joke out.

No matter how much I ate, I didn’t feel full.
This is the worst part of it tbh, constantly feeling physically hungry and being able to do absolutely nothing to stop it. I've only been able to start handling it better in recent times by adressing the underlying emotions.

[gathyou.livejournal.com]

I really feel bad for her. The group she was training with was teared down by DSP, she got to join an established group and face hate for what, two years of activities? and even when she had success on variety, DSP couldn't really follow.
I hope she's in a better place now and finds what she wants to do.

[myungung.livejournal.com]

sigh, and the fact that she hasn't had much activities after that probably made it worse. it sucks that baby Kara couldn't form a separate group instead, they had a group of girls who could perform in a different vein from April.

[kcaomei.livejournal.com]

i feel so bad for all the members of groups who were added in so late when the group was already pretty much on the way out, it's so sad and unfair to them

[accioanime.livejournal.com]

exactly... I think of Ga Eun, too, who barely got to promote with AS after joining and then was stuck for 5 years until she put herself out there with PD48. Really sad. To think how excited they must have been to finally debut after being the best out of the trainees...

[dot-rose.livejournal.com]

And the company doesn't know what to do with her.
Come on DSP, give her work,