"Only drinking water and salt to stay under 40kg" Teenage girl, 'water diet' trend ahead of summer

My teenage daughter is very sensitive about her weight..

They were talking a lot about losing weight.

This kind of article doesn't seem like someone else's issue.

I need to go on a healthy diet, but I can't believe I'm doing such a diet that harms my health...

 

 

<Source and provided by: Yonhap News Agency>

 

It was reported ten days ago that teenagers are not hesitating to undertake dangerous diets to achieve a slim body in preparation for summer.

 

Teenagers spend several days only drinking water and eating salt to reach a body weight in the 40kg range, but experts express concern that this could negatively impact their health during their growth period.

 

Many teenage girls aim to have a number (cm in height minus kg in weight) of 120 or more by not consuming food.

 

The lower this figure called "Keypae-mom" among students, the more it is regarded as "slim."

 

For example, for someone who is 165 cm tall, subtracting 120 should result in 45 kg, which is considered ideal.

 

On this day, Kwon Mo (18), who was interviewed by Yonhap News, said, "I have been only drinking water and salt for five days and not eating any food at all." Kwon, who is 163 cm tall, has been dieting for a year with a goal of reaching 40 kg.

 

Such extreme dieting has garnered even more attention as stories about famous celebrities losing weight in a short period through 'water fasting' are being shared.

 

There are over 1,000 posts on social media (SNS) with the hashtag #waterfast.

 

It is an extreme diet focused solely on weight loss without properly eating food.

 

During fasting, some people drink mineral water or take supplements instead of regular water to replenish nutrients, but experts say that this is not good for health.

 

The standard weight for women (kg) = height (m) × height (m) × 21.

 

For example, the standard weight of a woman who is 165 cm tall is calculated as 1.65(m) × 1.65(m) × 21, which is approximately 57.17 kg.

 

If it exceeds the standard weight by 10-20%, it is considered overweight; if it exceeds by more than 20%, it is considered obese.

 

Some people tend to wrongly perceive women as obese if they are taller than 165 cm and weigh more than 45 kg, based on models or celebrities, which shows a significant difference from the standard weight.

 

Experts unanimously agree that extreme dieting during adolescence can lead to various problems such as amenorrhea, osteoporosis, and eating disorders, and inevitably have negative effects on physical and mental development.

 

Excessive dieting can prevent sufficient nutrient intake, which is especially harmful to adolescents in their growth period, and rapid weight loss sends emergency signals to the body. As a result, metabolic rate decreases, making it difficult to maintain weight after dieting.

 

△Additionally, women may experience irregularities in their menstrual cycle, which can affect reproductive health and, in severe cases, lead to menstrual disorders and reproductive system diseases.

 

<Source and provided by: Yonhap News Agency>