Eating Disorders in Korea

[unreal.livejournal.com]

According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, obesity rates in Korea are some of the lowest in the world. Based upon sheer observation, I would have to vouch for this statistic. Koreans are not afraid to flaunt a little flesh and pants seem to be an optional accessory for most post-adolescent K-girls. Even K-boys have very little body fat, which can leave the average western woman feeling like a mastodon in comparison. So what’s the K-secret to a lifetime of physical perfection?

Genetics? Diet? Exercise? All of the above?


Since moving to Korea I have lost between 5-7lbs through absolutely no effort of my own. This is in large part because I have adopted many aspect of the Korean lifestyle. I engage in physical activity and my diet consists of copious amounts of vegetables, tofu, rice, kimchi and spice, which has been suggested to speed the metabolism. Variations of these 5 ingredients make a regular appearance in most Korean dishes. This could help to explain why Korean’s are so thin. It’s a pretty straightforward equation, right?

Low-Fat Food+Exercise=Low-Fat Physique
However, if that’s the case then why are these K-girls always snacking on potato chips or waffles or duk bok ki? Aaaaand… why is the pubic restroom at my school frequently laced with the faint tinge of vomit. Perhaps Koreans are not as genetically predisposed to the envious slender physique as previously assumed.

Bulimia: now you can truly have your cake and eat it too. twice.
The presence of eating disorders in this country is staggering. In a culture that devotes a great deal of attention towards attaining physical perfection, it’s no surprise that many of these girls have resorted to drastic measures to obtain this unrealistic standard of beauty.

This is a condition myself as well as almost everyone I know is familiar with, to some degree. Most of us have probably dealt with our own little bouts of over-eating/under-eating on occasion. Or perhaps you know someone who has. Preoccupation with weight seems to be the norm among adolescent females. It’s actually much more common that most people are even aware of. In fact, according to the DSM-IV an eating disorder is defined as:

Refusal to maintain body weight at or above a minimally normal weight for age and height: Weight loss leading to maintenance of body weight <85% of that expected or failure to make expected weight gain during period of growth, leading to body weight less than 85% of that expected.

85%… I could name 5 people off the top of my head that appear to meet this criteria. Is this cause for concern?

Probably. Maybe not. According to 1 stat I read, 80% of everyone on this planet will suffer a mental illness at one point in their lives. You are probably already crazy but don’t even realize it.

Who am I to judge? Despite much evidence to the contrary, I come from a culture that has gone so far as to suggest that human beings have more to offer than mere physical perfection. I may even naïvely suggest that I was taught to value a person’s inner beauty. Does this mean that I don’t admire and even covet a perfect figure, beautiful flawless skin and a great ass?

What do you think?

As far as I’m concerned, the biggest cultural difference is not that eating disorders are more prevalent in Korea; thus discrediting the low obesity rate.

I think that the biggest difference is that Koreans are not making any excuses for their preoccupation with physical perfection. In fact, if you ask the average Korean what their definition of ‘real beauty’ is, they will likely reply without a shred of guilt: big eyes, a tiny face, and a skinny body.

Source: chancealberg

Comments

[spin.livejournal.com]

this was pointless article. people suffer from eating disorders all over the world. maybe this article is trying to bring attention to those who have them in asia since it is a bit less of a problem in eastern countries, or maybe just less reports of them, idk, but this isn't a new problem.

[seobyo.livejournal.com]

agreed...

[unreal.livejournal.com]

Acording to some people in omona Koreans don't. I always see the "they are born skinny" thing brought up when a concerning article about someone's body/health shows up.

[cruel-disorder.livejournal.com]

Acording to some people in omona

See this is where the problem lies lol. Nobody should be according any kind of authority to what's being said on omona's comment section.

[absentspectator.livejournal.com]

Exactly.

[regnsky.livejournal.com]

Aaaaand… why is the pubic restroom at my school frequently laced with the faint tinge of vomit.

Is that supposed to be research or what? This article seem pretty personal and not like a news article. Oh wait I looked at the source and it's from a blog. Sorry never mind.

[djlancerock.livejournal.com]

not to mention, it's kinda implying that people with eating disorders are crazy.

[minyquai.livejournal.com]

Aaaaand… why is the pubic restroom at my school frequently laced with the faint tinge of vomit.

what the hell...

don't like this article :|

[kanghodong.livejournal.com]

fail article.

[tree-star123.livejournal.com]

...

[gyuri.livejournal.com]

Where did you get this doodoo, horribly worded, article?

[honeebs.livejournal.com]

Someone was searching EDs in Asia after this mornings LOOK AT THAT SKINNY SNSD member post.
Found this gem and wanted to share. :/

[dilettantka.livejournal.com]

mte

[the-erotomanic.livejournal.com]

was this posted as a reaction to yuri's weight loss?

Based upon sheer observation

which is basically what this blog entry is about. :o(

[riori-addict.livejournal.com]

"the pubic restroom" lolz

[dudette-in-town.livejournal.com]

I lol'd at that part.

[dilettantka.livejournal.com]

Korean’s are so thin

wtf is this crappy "I've lived in Korea for two months, I now know all about it" personal blog entry?

Based upon sheer observation

The writing and grammar is so poor, I bet they teach English.

[des-akazim.livejournal.com]

During a one month stay, I lost ten pounds in Korea eating like a crazy person. I would look at the constant walking, spicy food, the larger percentage of time drinking (non alcoholic drinks, I mean), and the type of food eaten as some causes.

[samrooks.livejournal.com]

this looks interesting to ask why is the only reason for the xtreme beauty,i die

[kittycurious.livejournal.com]

You are probably already crazy but don’t even realize it

As much as I believe we're all a little crazy, this just sounds prejudice, and I wouldn't say suffering from mental illness makes one "crazy". If you're living with a mental illness, then you have an illness. You most likely know what your illness is, and so being called crazy is just rude.
Then again, this isn't an actual article, just a blog post. So it's to be expected, you could say.

[epona.livejournal.com]

lol why would you post this

[after-an.livejournal.com]

Wow this article is so badly written but I think it does highlight the preoccupation with physical beauty that is prevalent in South Korea - especially with women and how much it contributes to their status.

[haymitch.livejournal.com]

whoa this article...

[pinkinmoon.livejournal.com]

this isn't even an article

[onewlurver.livejournal.com]

It's really difficult to read something like this because the facts seem to be a tad bit contorted (not on purpose, just not enough credible evidence was supported). I do agree with one point on how Koreans tend to define beauty in such an impossibly narrow window. Whatever: their preferences are their preferences.

This next statement will come off as ignorant, but I really don't care: I'm just glad that I live in such a fucking obese country as the United States because at least here I can feel that being 5'6 and 135 pounds doesn't classify me as an obnoxiously large human being.

(For those of you who are stranded in the dark by my last comment, I was using a type of irony that can be classified as "sarcasm".)

[chibi-rei.livejournal.com]

This "article"... wtf?

[vagueclarity.livejournal.com]

who wrote this?

[finkling.livejournal.com]

What? Koreans are not afraid to flaunt a little flesh?

Please do not equate idols, celebrities, and a few very outgoing shoppers on the street with Koreans in general. Koreans are less accepting of skimpy clothing than in America and they are still very much conservative despite their lower weight.

Eating disorders are not more prevalent in Korea. Plastic surgery, at least for the eyes and nose area, is.

Anyways, this article was badly written and the person clearly doesn't know what the fuck they're talking about.

[jaded-skys.livejournal.com]

tbh, about the clothing, they're fine with showing legs but not boobs, which was jarring for me at first being from Canada. But now I wear basically hot pants and no one looks at me odd and I would never wear anything that shows off my boobs at all.

[finkling.livejournal.com]

I think showing legs is a lot less shocking than showing boobs, tbh, in most cultures. Idk where you're from, but a lot of my Canadian friends think similarly. So I'd say that Korea is still more conservative than America.

I'm just tired of people equating Korean celebrities with actual Koreans and/or their perspectives.

Bulimia: now you can truly have your cake and eat it too. twice.

[sandra-hall.livejournal.com]

that ain't cute yo

Re: Bulimia: now you can truly have your cake and eat it too. twice.

[scarletfbl.livejournal.com]

Thank you. This sounds like some "Child Called 'IT'" shit, tbh.

[foxxxygrandpa.livejournal.com]

wow a blog post with no sources or scientific articles to back up their claims

[nori-sumire.livejournal.com]

I don't get why everyone is so offended by this blog entry which seems pretty innocent to me.

[last-thread.livejournal.com]

personally, i don't like that the writer is implying that a lot of koreans are bulimic, especially since it seems like its just based off of a few observations and quick judgments. bulimia is a serious disorder, and its upsetting to see that someone is throwing around accusations like that based on speculation. just because a person is thin doesn't mean that they binge and purge.

[jaded-skys.livejournal.com]

Uh, I've lived here for a while and I haven't lost shit. It's not 'low-fat food,' infact most korean dishes aren't that low fat, including a lot of oil, salt, and fat to season the dish. The portions aren't small either.

This was pointless. There's a higher amount of pressure to be thin, but a lot of that can also be acheived through plastic surgery and heavily diet pill/formula aided diet, not just through the classic ED's.

[last-thread.livejournal.com]

oh, hello six month old blog post. lol.

i'm gonna have to agree with everyone here, though. that's messed up. you can't generalize the condition of a few girls from one school to an entire culture. yeah, korea has different standards for beauty and (sometimes over-)emphasize thinness as desirable, but that doesn't that mean every korean is bulimic. -____-

[locofruitcake.livejournal.com]

wow this fail "article". why is the author even attempting to address ED issues when he/she clearly fails to understand the fundamental causes of ED in the first place. -.-

http://ed-ucate.livejournal.com/