Kim Shin Young ends 14-year diet, finds health through balance

Comedian Kim Shin Young has revealed that after breaking away from the strict weight management she maintained for 14 years, she has finally regained balance and health in her life. Long regarded as an "icon of thorough self-management," she is drawing significant attention by candidly disclosing the psychological burdens and health issues hidden behind her thin physique.

Appearing on the Chimchak Man YouTube channel in a video titled "Real Happiness Taught by Kim Shin Young" released on the 21st, Kim shared sincere stories about dieting, health, and her definition of happiness.

During the appearance, Kim stated, "From the age of 30, I lost weight from 88kg to 44kg, and I maintained that weight for the next 14 years." While her ability to maintain such a significant weight loss for over a decade had been a frequent topic on broadcasts, she confessed that the process was not entirely positive.

"70% of the reason I maintained it for 14 years was because of the gaze of people around me," Kim said. She revealed the intense psychological pressure she felt, adding, "I endured it out of spite because I didn't want to hear people say, 'I knew it would happen.'"

Behind the physical changes lay constant self-control and tension. Due to the nature of her profession, maintaining her body was synonymous with managing her image, and she explained that she felt compelled to continuously suppress herself to ensure her physical changes wouldn't revert.

However, Kim revealed that as time passed, she realized that a "life of eating less" did not actually make her happy.

"I'm glad I ate," she said. "When I lived without eating, I think I was sensitive and twisted. Because I had to keep enduring, a sense of victimhood also developed."\

She noted that advice from Professor Jeon Yoo-seong to "live happily while eating what you want to eat" had a major influence. It led to the realization that a healthy life is not simply about restricting food intake, but about listening to the signals sent by one's own body and mind.

In particular, Kim emphasized that being at a low weight did not necessarily mean being in a healthy state.

"When I was thin, I had skinny fat," she stated. "My cholesterol levels were higher, and due to stress, I even reached the risk group for diabetes."

She explained, "I recently had a blood sugar test, and it came back normal. In fact, my health was worse when I was thin, and I couldn't sleep well either."\

This aligns with a growing perception that physical condition and mental stability are more important than weight numbers. Her experience serves as a case study showing that simply reducing body weight is not the absolute standard for health, and that excessive restriction and stress can actually disrupt physical balance.

Kim also shared her thoughts on "fake hunger."

"When you are truly hungry, you will eat anything," she explained. "But fake hunger is when you crave a specific food, like pizza or tteokbokki."\

She continued to discuss the relationship between food and emotions, noting that "relieving stress is also important."\

In the past, Kim was praised for providing motivation to many through her steady self-discipline. However, this confession is significant as it illuminates the burdens and sacrifices that existed behind that public image.

In an environment where a celebrity's appearance and weight are easily judged by the public, Kim's story prompts reflection on whether individuals are excessively controlling themselves under the guise of "self-management."\

Ultimately, the change Kim chose is less an abandonment of dieting and more a re-establishment of her lifestyle. Rather than maintaining a thinner body, she shifted her focus toward listening to her body's signals and considering both the joy of eating and mental stability.

After 14 years of intense self-management, Kim's conclusion was simple: a healthy life is not a weight proven by numbers, but a balance in which one feels truly happy.