In the early summer of 2021, social media platforms were flooded with posts of people revealing professionally photographed pictures of their thin, toned, muscular bodies. Although photoshoots of flexing muscles were once thought to be exclusive for professional athletes, an increasing number of individuals have also been actively taking part in shooting these pictures. These types of photoshoots, coined body profiles, have emerged as a trend among millennials and Generation Z (MZ) as the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions have given them more space to improve their physical health. However, this trend promotes a toxic diet culture in Korea, causing serious side effects in the long term.
As the name states, body profiles are pictures of individuals taken at professional photography studios to document the specific moment their bodies have improved through extreme exercise and dieting. In fact, the prolonged duration of COVID-19 has significantly contributed to the popularity of body profiles. With the pandemic restricting social activities, many felt this was an opportunity to begin investing in self-development and improving physical health. For a successful photo shoot, subjects must engage in months of intensive workouts and restrictive diet plans to shape the perfect body.
According to Black Kiwi, a data analysis platform, the keyword of “body profiles” in South Korea had exceeded over 500,000 searches. Moreover, body profile hashtags surpassed over two million posts on Instagram, and hundreds of YouTubers have been uploading video content about their body profile journeys to keep viewers on track with their progress. As body profiles are appealing in the sense that people can look back on themselves in the future, the overall trend of this post-pandemic diet culture continues to escalate.
Young generations have tended to commend body profile trends for giving a sense of accomplishment, satisfaction, and self-confidence. Nonetheless, problems arise when people attempt to achieve their body profile goals in a short time span. In fact, many people who have participated in body profile challenges have been left with unforeseen side effects. As these trends require extreme dieting plans, negative health effects including hair loss, eating disorders, and mental health concerns follow. In spite of how body profile trends grant that individuals find interest in seeking a healthy lifestyle, it is by no means a healthy way of dieting.
Rather than assigning a deadline for a body profile shoot, it is more important to keep consistent track of exercise as well as provide the body with balanced nutrition rather than rapid weight loss. As body profiles become a social media trend, people begin comparing themselves to others. This begins to discourage body positivity and the culture of dieting in Korea becomes severely altered, damaging the beauty standards that society may look up to. Kim Jong-kook, a Korean singer-entertainer, expressed his concerns about body profiles through his fitness channel on YouTube. He emphasized that although body profiles are for the purpose of self-satisfaction, people should not engage in excessive workouts and diets that devote all their time to a single photo.
The trend of body profiles may have started out as a good influence in supporting people’s motivation to live a healthy life balance. However, one must remember that when physical training and diet routines are taken to the extreme level, they can become detrimental to their health. Individuals should not strive for the “perfect body” for a single picture, but rather aim for developing healthier habits that can be pursued in the long term. In the end, it is not appropriate for the public to label this trend as the ideal healthy lifestyle for a mere Instagram post.