South Korea's 'Zero-Food' Epidemic is Getting Out of Hand

Added: 2026-06-01

[00:00:00]I'm guessing a country where it's illegal to be fat.

[00:00:03]>> Don't be fat. Don't be ugly. Don't be poor.

[00:00:05]>> I'm sure you know like >> Oh, [ __ ] This culture is it is growing in North America, man.

[00:00:11][ __ ] Don't be fat. Don't be ugly. Yeah, GG, man. GG.

[00:00:15]>> Take that plastic surgery capital. You think an overweight >> Yeah, this is this is Yeah, you know South Korea is so advanced.

[00:00:23]It's slowly seeping in in in North in North America. This type of attitude, yo.

[00:00:28]Yeah, you know, it's going to be super toxic in the future, man.

[00:00:31]>> foreigner coming to visit Korea would have a negative experience?

[00:00:35]>> But it's true. It is true, though.

[00:00:37]South Korea, Japan, East Asia, bro. Like they Yo, plastic surgery is like number one, yo. It's so common. The women even the men do plastic surgery, yo.

[00:00:47]Like she looks like she did plastic surgery done on her face, yo. There's like it's so common now.

[00:00:52]In in South Korea, super common.

[00:00:55]>> Sadly, I've heard that a lot.

[00:00:56]>> South Korea, the world's beauty capital, where being fat isn't just frowned upon, you're openly shamed.

[00:01:02]>> Shop owners will clearly say to you like, "Oh, yeah, there's no clothes for you."

[00:01:06]>> In a country where appearance can feel like currency, the pressure to be thin is everywhere. On billboards, subway floors, and storefront windows, a constant reminder to change and be better, creating a standard so intense it's driving a surge in weight loss drugs, extreme dieting, and potentially something much worse.

[00:01:23]>> Okay.

[00:01:24]>> I survive on ice cube weight loss?

[00:01:28]Wait, wait, what?

[00:01:29]>> surge in weight loss drugs, extreme >> Some people would treat I survive on ice cubes to lose weight.

[00:01:46]So, he's chewing on ice and treating like it's food? That's crazy.

[00:01:49]>> extreme dieting and potentially something much worse.

[00:01:52]>> Okay, so I have to get to 75 kg.

[00:01:54]>> I'm here to find out just how bad it really is. Welcome to South Korea, everybody. Before we get started with the day, I want to see what level of freak show the locals are going to see me as. So, behind me there's a >> Oh, I'll be [ __ ] They'll look at me like I'm like a super obese. Oh, yeah.

[00:02:09]They'll be like, "Yo, you got to go to the hospital, you."

[00:02:12]They look at me.

[00:02:13]Oh, [ __ ] >> that are in all the parks in Korea. They really just said, "Let's gamify emotional damage." So, whatever I get here is going to dictate how I feel about myself today and probably how I So, according to Google Translate >> shout out to K-dramas, yo. Korean dramas are actually fire, though. I can't even lie.

[00:02:30]Though, some of those shows moves are really [ __ ] popular. I can't lie, but yo, they they they got so many toxins.

[00:02:35]>> one here, it says, "You're an alien."

[00:02:38]I mean, I'd rather be called an alien [laughter] than a fat ass, so I guess if I can't fit through this, I'm not considered human.

[00:02:44]>> So, all they said if you're that fat, they call you an alien, bro. That's crazy.

[00:02:51]Yeah, I would not be I would not be fitting that area, low-key. I would not be fitting the aliens, actually, low-key. I maybe we'll see. We'll >> That was That was very close. This next one is "You shouldn't be like this." Which kind of sounds like a threat.

[00:03:08]>> Oh, he's struggling now.

[00:03:09]>> Oh my god, I'm I'm scraping the >> Oh, [ __ ] I would have [ __ ] I would have [ __ ] right there. If he's struggling like that, I would have struggled, too, for sure.

[00:03:17]>> have a slim heart." Passive-aggressive.

[00:03:24]>> [laughter] >> Oh.

[00:03:27]I have a slim body.

[00:03:29]Okay, we're good there. Okay, so the next one is just chubby. So, not as wordy as the other ones, but still just as hurtful.

[00:03:36]Chubby.

[00:03:41]I think I'm This is changing the breakfast plans very quickly.

[00:03:45]>> Oh, yeah. It's It's GG for me.

[00:03:46]>> Crazy to think that I'm considered chubby in Korea, cuz I like to think that I'm in pretty good shape. So, after chubby, here we have the not chubby at all. He's not He's so >> You're big. He's like he's fit fit fit big. He's not He's not fat at all, man.

[00:03:57]He's not fat at all, man.

[00:03:58]>> I love I just I would love to be average. And then we have thin, thin, and then here says skinny, and it looks like they've removed actually one of the poles here cuz maybe like it was probably too extreme. Like I don't I don't even think a 90-day fast and a caved-in rib cage I could fit through that. Because like thin, barely my quad goes through that. And the crazy thing about all of this is that this is literally in the middle of a children's park. And they're probably going to see this as a game.

[00:04:26]And you want to >> No, that's too dangerous, man. That's [ __ ] >> beat the game. So, I just go to this and if I can't fit through it, I'm going to do whatever it takes to be able to fit through it eventually. So, I think it just causes a lot of issues.

[00:04:37]Korea has a zero-calorie and zero-sugar obsession, and because of that there's tons of different spots >> Low-key, zero-calorie, zero-sugar um foods, though, sometimes hit, sometimes miss, for low-key.

[00:04:51]Shout out to Coke Zero, man. Coke Zero golden.

[00:04:53]Coke Zero is the one of the best sodas out there, man. Woo!

[00:04:57]You drinking that [ __ ] without like any type of worry, you're like, "Oh, I'm chilling, though."

[00:05:01]No sugar, no calories, though.

[00:05:04]You're just chilling, you're just you sipping on that [ __ ] though.

[00:05:07]Got to worry about anything.

[00:05:11]But that's >> That >> Zero-calorie foods, though. I don't even know these things exist, though.

[00:05:18]We have We have sodas that are zero-calorie and zero-sugar, but food? I don't know, man.

[00:05:23]>> So, if I want to be able to fit >> I don't even know if that's even possible, though.

[00:05:25]>> through that tree a little later on, there's certain things that we have to do. So, the first spot that we're checking out is the zero store. So, zero calories and zero employees. This is just kind of like a serve-yourself kind of place.

[00:05:37]This is pretty sick.

[00:05:40]I just feel like I found a loophole in my fitness journey. No way. They have zero-calorie ice cream? That's sick.

[00:05:46]That is really like zero-cal, zero-sugar. They have zero calorie peanut butter, which sounds like I'd rather have a nut allergy than taste that. And a bunch of high protein foods here. This is sick.

[00:05:58]Wow.

[00:05:59]>> That is insane. They're all zero calories. No way, man. What the [ __ ] How do they even do that?

[00:06:06]>> I've never seen a Coke Zero tall boy.

[00:06:09]Oh, I have to get that.

[00:06:11]That's so sick. I wonder if they have zero calorie pizza. Just like cardboard that has a tomato scent. 43 g protein in that. That's a hefty boy. I swear this I think this is This must be what heaven looks like.

[00:06:24]>> There was so many different options of zero calorie, zero sugar snacks to choose from, especially jelly, which is often seen as Korean Ozempic, providing you with something to fill your stomach with little to no calories at all.

[00:06:36]>> All this unsupervised protein is pretty incredible. Koreans must be trustworthy.

[00:06:40]All right.

[00:06:42]>> Zero calorie ice cream? Like, that's Popsicle. That's kind of interesting.

[00:06:45]Low key, yo, these things need to be implemented here in Canada, low key.

[00:06:49]It's kind of cool.

[00:06:50]If these even decent, bro, low key, it can it can pop off.

[00:06:53]>> So, we got a few things from the zero store. We got to start off with the zero calorie ice cream.

[00:06:58]>> I don't Zero calorie ice cream is >> like great white shark flavor. Like, it doesn't really tell me anything, and I can't really understand the back of it, but it's pretty in your [music] face about being zero calorie, so you really can't forget it.

[00:07:11]All right. So, visually, shark-like as in gray and ominous.

[00:07:15]It looks like meat that's been left in the freezer for like a month.

[00:07:20]Smells actually fire, though.

[00:07:25]Wow, what?

[00:07:26]Not as offensive as I thought it was going to be.

[00:07:29]>> That [ __ ] is good, really.

[00:07:31]No way.

[00:07:33]I mean, yo, this got almost 8 million views me something like a week ago.

[00:07:41]Almost 8 million views, yo.

[00:07:43]Yo, if is zero calories stores here in Canada, yo, that [ __ ] would That would That [ __ ] would go crazy.

[00:07:48]Especially Yo, especially in America, though. America would be going even more crazy than here in Canada.

[00:07:54]>> That's actually quite good. There's a lot of flavor going on. I thought it was going to be very neutral. It's very fruit punchy. Oh.

[00:08:02]When you bite it, >> [snorts] >> it doesn't taste bad.

[00:08:06]It just doesn't taste like anything, really.

[00:08:09]This is Outside's very fruity. Inside's nice and like red like that.

[00:08:13]But if I was on a diet, to keep my mouth hurt >> Decent taste, right? Decent taste?

[00:08:19]I'm not like Yo, I'm not expecting something crazy sweet, though, cuz it's zero calories, zero sugar, but even if it has a little bit of taste, that's impressive.

[00:08:26]>> Trouble?

[00:08:28]Very good. We're going to be trying the infamous cutting jelly, as in the malnutrition maximizer, because there's literally I mean, there's nothing in it.

[00:08:35]Zero calories.

[00:08:37]This is just really >> That's so tiny, though. How is that filling? That's so tiny. That's a small piece of jelly, though.

[00:08:42]That's not filling, man.

[00:08:44]No way that's filling.

[00:08:48]Yo, East Asian got some crazy small-ass appetite, bro. That [ __ ] would not fill me at all.

[00:08:53]>> Not bad. Have a couple of these, like three of them for breakfast, and you're good. Crazy to think, right?

[00:08:57]>> Three of them for breakfast? I might need more than that. I might need like 20 or 30 of them.

[00:09:00]>> Eating ice cream and jelly. There's no calories in it, but I'm burning calories talking to you. Think about that. We got a protein muffin, two >> Is this zero? Zero refined sugar, but there's probably calories in here, though.

[00:09:13]>> 100 calories, which practically >> Okay, 200 calories. I mean, that's Okay, that makes sense, I guess. But zero sugar, though, right?

[00:09:19]>> Dude, at this point feels like a binge.

[00:09:21]I don't know if I should >> But zero sugar, though, right?

[00:09:23]>> Dude, I kind of feel bad.

[00:09:25]I want to fit through that tree.

[00:09:26]>> 200 calories a lot, though. Okay.

[00:09:28]>> Nailed it. Just a chubby boy in Korea enjoying a muffin.

[00:09:35]>> This is the issue, yo. Like he worked out his traps a lot.

[00:09:39]And I keep preaching, do not work on your traps, your traps will it will make basically make your shoulders a lot smaller than it is.

[00:09:45]And you can see it, he looks a lot more smaller because he worked on his traps a lot.

[00:09:51]So, he doesn't have that V-taper shape with the shoulders sticking out. He looks he looks a lot more smaller. Like his his frame looks a lot more smaller.

[00:09:58]And this is why I say don't do not work out your traps, man. Your traps will it will make you look too small.

[00:10:05]And you can see in him.

[00:10:07]His biceps his biceps are big, though.

[00:10:09]>> Zero calorie.

[00:10:10]>> Zero sugar, man. What the [ __ ] Yo, what the [ __ ] are they What Bro, I need to know the ingredients, bro. How the [ __ ] is that zero sugar? That looks like >> needs to be FDA >> That [ __ ] looks like it's like 500 grams of sugar, yo. What the [ __ ] >> content creator Daniel Oh, who uses psychology, philosophy, and his cross-cultural perspectives to help women build self-love.

[00:10:27]>> So, I'm considered kind of like chubby in Korea.

[00:10:30]>> Not chubby. You would just be considered like a buff dude. If you look at the vast majority of like idols, for example, they're really skinny. I even have a friend who was an idol trainee, but he started working out and he wasn't even like bodybuilder big. Like he was probably around my size and they were like, you can't be an idol anymore cuz you're too big.

[00:10:47]>> Wow.

[00:10:48]>> So, they actually dropped him from the training program because they were like, you're going to be too big compared to everybody else on stage.

[00:10:54]>> What is the ideal male and female physique?

[00:10:57]>> I think for men, it's the same anywhere in the world. You got to be tall, right?

[00:11:00]So, if you're 180 and above, that's like you're considered handsome cuz you got that going for you. Uh yeah, so Will definitely would be considered a handsome guy in Korea. But actually, I could use this Will as an example of like why you would be considered a handsome guy by Korean standards. Yeah, so you also have what's considered like a small face.

[00:11:16]>> Okay.

[00:11:16]>> So, in Korean uh society, when people say you're beautiful or you're handsome for men or women, one of the things they'll comment on is like, "Wow, you have such a small face." Basically, what it means is like if you look at [laughter] the proportion of your face to the rest of your body, like it looks smaller, right? And so, that's what people mean by having a small face. It has a lot to do with proportions. And of course, you have like a very defined jawline. So I think in that regard, it's not too different from what this the standard would be for men anywhere you go in the world, right? And then for women, this is like super stringent standards.

[00:11:47]There is like a specific angle of like your forehead to your nose, and then an angle of like your nose to your >> Yo, what the [ __ ] packed out your Tito?

[00:11:57]Yo, what the [ __ ] is this? Angles and [ __ ] Yo, this is too much, man.

[00:12:03]Yo, what is all this?

[00:12:06]>> [laughter] >> this part of your face right here. And so like those angles are all like measured according to like what's called the golden ratio or the Fibonacci sequence. If you are I think over 60, I would say like 4 kg, you're considered like chubby for a 64 kg Yeah, for a Korean woman, regardless of height.

[00:12:30]Yeah, regardless of the height.

[00:12:34]>> 141 lb, damn.

[00:12:37]It's considered overweight.

[00:12:42]>> I too. Yeah, it's tough because nowadays Korean women like they are all also conscious of like their breast size, but because like naturally Korean women just don't have a lot of like subcutaneous fat, it's hard to get that naturally. So one of the most common procedures that women will get is like breast implants, right?

[00:12:59]>> Mhm, make sure.

[00:13:00]>> And it's like again, sometimes you can kind of tell because it's like you have a very skinny woman, but her like breasts are large, and it's kind of like well, how do you get that? That's kind of like I would say the most toxic aspect of the beauty standard that Korea is known for.

[00:13:14]>> As soon as we started walking, we were flooded with more zero calorie stores on every corner, plastic surgery ads everywhere, and impossible beauty standards at every turn.

[00:13:23]>> These are the kinds of signs that you see in front of every single gym. Like talk about a transformation. Like, I don't think I've ever related so hard to a before side of a transformation in my life. Like, when I see this, I don't see motivation or inspiration. I just see pressure. So, these ads on the wall, this this is not possible to be attained naturally.

[00:13:43]>> You can get it naturally, but there are some markers that show that it is plastic surgery. So, for example, this like angle from forehead >> Yeah, it looks too fake.

[00:13:55]>> ideal angle that like women want. And then this like pointed nose and this angle from like here to here, again, more often than not, you actually need an implant to get that pointy nose because it's very rare to see that like just naturally uh through genetics.

[00:14:12]>> And then the husky blue eyes.

[00:14:14]>> Yeah, so the the lenses now it's to the point where like a lot of women will feel self-conscious going out and not wearing lenses because it's just become so, you know, commonplace.

[00:14:23]>> So, would you say anime has a big impact on the the style and how people look?

[00:14:28]>> I think it has a lot more to do with Korea is such a trend-driven country.

[00:14:33]So, if they see like, "Oh, um you know, this this influencer that I follow on social media started wearing colored lenses. Yeah, I want to do that, too." Yeah, and then like trends just move so fast.

[00:14:43]>> So, I'm walking by a bunch of these markets and the clothing is so small.

[00:14:47]It's insane. On this tag over here, it says F, which stands for free. So, free size is basically the idea that like it's like stretchable. So, if you're a Korean person, you should be able to fit.

[00:14:59]>> One size fits all.

[00:15:00]>> Yeah, but as you can see here, it it's not a very friendly size for a lot of foreigners, right?

[00:15:06]>> like I'm at a pet store shopping for my dog.

[00:15:08]>> Yeah, I was going [laughter] to say like I feel like in the states I'd see this at like The Children's Place.

[00:15:12]>> Yeah.

[00:15:13]>> What the >> I think that if I went into a store and asked for my size, they'd just hand me a salad or something. I don't Like that is that is cra- I don't even think my quad could fit in that.

[00:15:21]>> Yeah, I think that's actually You know you're right. Yeah, that's like the size of one of your quads.

[00:15:26]>> That is crazy.

[00:15:28]>> I have a mini schnauzer at home.

[00:15:29]Th- This would fit him, I think.

[00:15:31]>> But we wanted to see if the men's clothes had more realistic sizes.

[00:15:34]>> So I kind of want Will to try this one because it says here OF, which stands for overfit, and it's the idea that like it's a baggier fit, so Yeah, I don't know, man. I literally cannot fit my head through it.

[00:15:47]>> There is a button if you want to unbutton that thing there and see if you could pull it through or not.

[00:15:52]>> I mean, I can get it on. Like if a Korean dude was wearing it, it's supposed to be very loose, but now you just look like a private school >> Yeah, I look like a private school school boy.

[00:16:00]>> That's supposed to be like a baggier fit, I believe, but you make it look like a regular fit.

[00:16:05]>> Yeah.

[00:16:05]>> Yeah.

[00:16:06]>> I only have to fly halfway across the world for my calves to feel above average, but the fact that this is oversized is I kind of feel fat.

[00:16:12]>> Dieting alone can't always get you the body that you want, which is why Korea is packed with beauty clinics promising to speed up the process.

[00:16:19]>> Hi, we just want to see like if you have like a menu of different like fat loss options. Lipolysis injection. So these are kind of like the fat melting injections that I talked about. So they got like stuff for double chin over here.

[00:16:32]>> Oh, I need that so. I need that so.

[00:16:34]Double chin?

[00:16:35]I low key got one right up here. Low key I got I got I got Okay, I might have to do that low key.

[00:16:39]Yeah, I might got to do that though. I do have a double chin kind of low key. I got I got to remove that so.

[00:16:44]I got to remove that so.

[00:16:45]>> won for a session. So that would be like around Right now with the exchange rate maybe No, not even Not even Maybe like $70. So this is like arms, thighs, abdomen. So like very popular cuz again it's like it's hard to actually do the work of like eating properly, moving properly, right? But it's like why do all that when you could just melt it off?

[00:17:08]>> Yeah, and like the proportions that are where like people want to see are literally impossible to get, so you have to do it this way.

[00:17:14]>> right, cuz you You target fat loss through natural means, right?

[00:17:17]>> You guys want to see a real the ampules, right?

[00:17:19]>> This is the real lip injection. One of the most famous fat melting injection [music] in the world. It actually kills the fat tissue.

[00:17:27]>> Are there are there people some of the people coming in pretty young asking for this stuff?

[00:17:31]>> Um yeah, sometimes. But usually 40 to 50.

[00:17:33]>> Would you ever have any like thinner people come in requesting stuff like this?

[00:17:37]>> Uh sometimes. Sometimes. But I try to tell them to do another thing.

[00:17:42]More smooth way. This is kind of aggressive way to reduce fat.

[00:17:46]>> So what do you think of Korea's body image culture?

[00:17:49]>> I think it's good.

[00:17:51]Actually I think >> probably. He's probably going to say straight.

[00:17:55]>> money from those kind of injections.

[00:17:57]But I don't think it's a day that is >> [laughter] >> super dangerous.

[00:18:00]>> He's like I like it cuz like I get to make more money but that's That was a crazy answer, you.

[00:18:08]He's like I like more people being anorexic, you, cuz they'll come in here and I'll make I'll make more money.

[00:18:12]That's what he's basically saying.

[00:18:13][laughter] That is crazy.

[00:18:16]>> because you know, cultures from the America or the Europe, they are really damage their health. I think their culture must be between the European style and Asian style.

[00:18:26]>> What's your opinions on Korean beauty standards?

[00:18:28]>> Yeah. So I'm French. Now I feel it's much more standard standardized in Korea. So yeah.

[00:18:33]>> Yeah. When you moved here, did you look a lot different than you do now?

[00:18:36]>> Oh yeah. Yeah.

[00:18:38]So when I moved here, I was overweight basically. There was kind of a pressure myself to to fit in. Like in France or in Europe, you will never have I would say kind of negative remarks. But in Korea, they'll be like oh yeah oh that's why you're you know you're fat or something.

[00:18:52]>> Oh so they're a lot more like forward here.

[00:18:54]>> Yeah, exactly. Which to be honest is not that bad. Once I've lost weight, it's like much more direct also in the on the other way.

[00:18:59]>> If I did gain a little bit, people would make a comment straight away and say like oh you gained some weight and the whole reason to make that comment is like I noticed you or like I care about you.

[00:19:09]Um and so you're supposed to feel good.

[00:19:12]Like you're supposed to be like, "Oh, she noticed and like she really cares >> Yeah, this this girl done like a nose surgery. Like there's something there's something up with his nose though. It's too pointy.

[00:19:20]You could just tell this girl have done surgery on her nose though.

[00:19:23]It it looks too unnatural.

[00:19:26]Looks too unnatural.

[00:19:29]>> Are Koreans a lot more direct with how you look? Cuz I feel like in North America, if someone gained weight, you wouldn't really say it. But maybe you just like think it. So here they actually would just tell you straight to your face?

[00:19:38]>> Straight to your face.

[00:19:39]>> Even like when I meet up with my friends and I haven't seen them in a while, if like my skin is looking worse, they'll be like, "Oh, yeah, you you just got some looks like you got some trouble on your face." If I look a little bit bigger, like the first thing they'll be like, "Oh my god, your your face looks a little bigger than the last time I saw you. You look like you gained some weight." Or like vice versa, you look like you lost weight.

[00:19:54]>> Do you like how forward people are in Korea or or what do you think about that?

[00:20:15]Could you ask her to tell her tell me like the first thing she thinks about when she sees me and to not worry I won't get offended.

[00:20:34]>> [laughter] >> If we are long time friends and you saw me for the first time, like what would you say to me?

[00:20:40]>> There's a golden proportion of your face that I learned recently. It's like 1 1 and 0.8. So maybe your like bottom is a bit long.

[00:20:50]>> My bottom is a bit long? That's it?

[00:20:52]>> And like you could get some facial for your skin.

[00:20:54]>> Is it hard being a girl in Korea?

[00:20:57]>> Well, I think so. There's many things that girls need to do to help keep their appearances.

[00:21:16]>> We've been walking around looking for interviews, but we were getting no luck with girls because they're all just like they don't have makeup on, their hair is not done, their outfit's not good. So, most of them are rejecting us right now.

[00:21:25]It's like they want to do it, but they just don't feel confident enough to be on camera right now.

[00:21:30]>> Damn.

[00:21:31]>> the person we just asked, she does have makeup on, and she still didn't want to do it cuz she wasn't confident. She needs more makeup on. So, you've been asking girls to do interviews, and a lot of them are just like, "Oh, I have no makeup on. I can't." Like, is that very just common?

[00:21:41]>> Oh, yeah. If you like leave the house without makeup on, then mostly you'd wear a cap or like a mask to cover your face.

[00:21:48]>> When looking for like a a girlfriend, like what kind of traits are you attracted to?

[00:22:08]What's the main reason, in your opinion, as to why a lot of people in Korea are so skinny?

[00:22:39]How do you think Korean people look at fat people on the street?

[00:22:41]>> Mostly that they don't care about themselves, and they don't care about their family, too, because a lot of their family members usually, as I mentioned, if you gain a bit of weight, they'll say something.

[00:22:52]>> Mhm. Damn.

[00:22:53]>> Like, you didn't care about what your family said, or your family are not pointing out that you're unhealthy.

[00:22:57]>> Would you associate skinny with being healthy?

[00:23:00]>> To a certain point, I I think it can contribute to like better health because you know, I think having more weight on you can really hurt your knees a lot and your joints as well. It's a problem my parents have so I think that kind of weight really if they didn't have it, I think they'd be feeling a lot better and they'd be a lot healthier for sure.

[00:23:15]>> So would you rather be skinny or healthy?

[00:23:19]>> I think be healthy. I mean I think but I think some of them kind of overlap in some extent. But I think being healthy is more important and just living like a long and happy life is more important.

[00:23:27]>> Do you think a an overweight foreigner coming to visit Korea would have a negative experience?

[00:23:34]>> Sadly I've heard that a lot. Shopping is difficult too and when you go shopping, the shop owner >> Oh yeah, shopping GG. I'm not Yeah, I go I did it like yeah, I don't got I don't got clothes for you man. GG man.

[00:23:48]I'll be so big yo. They'll probably be like yo, what the [ __ ] is this Indian guy doing over here yo?

[00:23:54]The brown big ass brown Sasquatch ass yo or hell nah yo.

[00:23:58]>> They mainly say to you like >> Imagine I'm trying to shop in South Korea yo. I'll be funny as [ __ ] yo.

[00:24:03]>> Oh yeah, there's no clothes but the reaction is very obvious and I think they feel a bit left out sometimes.

[00:24:11]>> Are there any extremes that people do to like look a certain way here?

[00:24:14]>> Uh I mean I think the most extreme one or the most obvious one is like plastic surgery. But I know there's like especially with the women they go on like really crazy diets. Uh back like 10 years ago there was this one K-pop idol called IU. I don't know if you know her.

[00:24:26]>> No.

[00:24:26]>> But her one of her diets was like infamous cuz like she all she ate for the day was like one sweet potato, like one apple, like ice cubes or something.

[00:24:33]So she'd have like 200 300 calories for the day and that like she lost like 10 15 kilos in like 2 weeks or something or a month or something.

[00:24:40]>> And then a lot of people followed that, right?

[00:24:41]>> A lot of women tend to follow that kind of thing. So yeah, it's definitely very severe.

[00:24:45]>> K-pop starvation >> Hey yo, sweet potato yo. I did not know how many benefits a sweet potato have.

[00:24:50]Actually I'm not a fan of the taste though.

[00:24:52]I'm not a fan of it but yo, this there's a lot of um a lot of nutrients a lot of good nutrients with the sweet potato.

[00:25:00]I just don't like the taste though. The taste, the texture I'm not a fan of, but it's good.

[00:25:04]>> Nutrition diets don't just stay in the industry. They reshape how people everywhere see food and body image. When extreme restriction is framed as discipline and constant hunger starts to feel like progress instead of a warning sign, that mindset spreads fast with people normalizing under eating and fearing calories just to chase an unrealistic look. Like calling 130 calories a meal or using formulas like height minus 120 as a body weight goal.

[00:25:29]So, I spoke with a K-pop singer who had to stay anonymous to avoid backlash about what that pressure actually feels like behind the scenes.

[00:25:37]>> Do you think there's a lot of pressure on you to be skinny?

[00:25:40]>> Yes, for my fans.

[00:25:42]>> Is that good?

[00:25:43]>> I don't think so, but they needs My fans need like that >> Why does she Why does she sound like that?

[00:25:51]It sounds kind of like a dude. She Is trans person? The voice just sounds weird.

[00:25:56]>> Korea ranks very high on suicide rates.

[00:25:59]Why do you think that would be?

[00:26:00]>> Idol culture.

[00:26:01]>> Idol culture?

[00:26:02]>> Yes. They needs skinny shape and pretty face, so >> So, this rates being so high, you think are related to the K-pop culture?

[00:26:12]>> Yeah, I think so.

[00:26:13]>> So, the girl back in the cafe said that she needs to be skinny for her fans.

[00:26:17]Does that make sense to you?

[00:26:18]>> Oh, yeah, 100%. I would imagine that like a lot of her success is going to depend on her followers and fans hyping her up, sharing her music, and just continuing to engage with her content.

[00:26:30]But, if she were to gain weight, then they're just going to like lose all interest in her because >> Regardless of talent?

[00:26:34]>> Oh, yeah, regardless of talent because it's just kind of like no matter how talented you are, it's not like I couldn't find 15 other people who are equally as talented as you. So, if you want to make it, you have to be talented and you got to be beautiful. And you got to be a great dancer, rapper, like that's the industry.

[00:26:50]>> So, we found a place for lunch called Preppers, which I'm It kind of sounds like contest prep, like you're prepping for something. And then the funny thing is, it says Preppers diet food, not healthy food, cuz I feel like healthy food wouldn't be as much of a draw to go in. Like diet just sounds like more like weight loss, right?

[00:27:06]>> Yeah, I think you nailed it on the head.

[00:27:07]That would be my guess, too. And yeah, I think it is for like weightlifters, and I see more and more popping up all over the place.

[00:27:12]>> So a bunch of pasta bowls, rice bowls.

[00:27:16]You recommend the double bowl?

[00:27:17]>> Yes, for me, only the double bowl gives me enough protein. Combo comes with a drink. For example, amino drink over here.

[00:27:24]>> get an amino drink?

[00:27:24]>> Yeah, that's one of their things that they're known for. I have yet to try it, but I heard it's pretty good. So and then they got like protein milkshakes and stuff.

[00:27:30]>> Protein coffee milkshake sounds amazing.

[00:27:32]Like places like this in North America like don't show up. And I feel like that's because there's like they don't think there'd be enough traction.

[00:27:38]>> Right, right. So I feel like there's obviously a lot of traction and like demand for this.

[00:27:41]>> Yeah. Like for me, when I first came to Korea, they didn't have shops like this.

[00:27:44]So I missed like Chipotle or like Cava, cuz you could get pretty good macros for those, even though they have like high sodium. But you know, not like not like stuff like this.

[00:27:51]>> It's not every day you see a fountain drink station where it's only the zero sugar stuff. I feel like Coke Zero is water here. And I respect that.

[00:27:58]>> Cheers, man.

[00:27:58]>> Cheers.

[00:27:59]>> When a place has Sprite Zero, you just know it's going to slap. Cuz this is a rarity. Like this is a rare find.

[00:28:04]>> Really? Most places have Coke Zero.

[00:28:06]>> Uh-huh.

[00:28:06]>> Sprite Zero?

[00:28:07]>> Yeah, Sprite Zero is rare.

[00:28:09]>> Wow, I There's it's everywhere here in Korea, so I just assumed that it was Wow.

[00:28:13]>> And also the fact that this place is 24 hours is insane.

[00:28:16]>> Yeah, that's crazy.

[00:28:17]>> that, yeah.

[00:28:18]>> Oh, I wanted to get the pasta bowl, but I feel like if I ordered that, I would've got bullied or something. It seems like a trap. Like who gets the pasta in Korea?

[00:28:25]>> All right, here we go.

[00:28:27]Want to make sure you mix it all up nice.

[00:28:31]Ooh, that's a big boy bite.

[00:28:32]>> Oh, that is good. That was >> So good.

[00:28:34]>> Good?

[00:28:34]>> Mhm.

[00:28:35]>> Nice.

[00:28:36]>> I like that it's like a it's a reflective plate.

[00:28:38]>> Mhm.

[00:28:38]>> You know, so you get to the bottom of the plate, and you can see your skinny reflection when you're done. What would you say is like a big factor in Korea's low obesity rate? Would you say it's all lifestyle or is there any like genetic components to that?

[00:28:50]>> So, I think one of the things that people don't know is that in addition to the social pressure that there is to stay thin and stay healthy, East Asians have a way lower subcutaneous fat cell count than our western counterparts. And this is quite common in Korea. Well, you'll you'll see like those skinny fat body types, right? Well, you'll see men or women that don't look that fat, but they have really high visceral fat levels just because there's not a lot of subcutaneous fat that can hold it. So, they won't look as big, but they'll still have heart issues, diabetes, pre-diabetes, insulin resistance, like all across the board. So, it doesn't take that much size for a Korean person to be equally as unhealthy as like, you know, a US >> That sounds like a westerner, though.

[00:29:31]Why is English so white? She has a proper English accent, though. Like, it just feels weird.

[00:29:38]He sou- He sounds too white, though.

[00:29:39]Like, >> Korean based or yeah.

[00:29:42]>> Okay.

[00:29:42]>> How many calories would you say this bowl is?

[00:29:44]>> If I had to guess, I would put it around >> 800? 800?

[00:29:51]>> 600?

[00:29:52]>> No way.

[00:29:52]>> Okay. I was going to be like, >> No way. What the [ __ ] 600 calories for that? That's actually pretty good. What the [ __ ] What?

[00:30:02]>> Around 700?

[00:30:03]>> Mhm.

[00:30:03]>> Have you heard of MacroFactor?

[00:30:04]>> I haven't.

[00:30:05]>> It's the quickest and easiest way to track your calories.

[00:30:07]>> Okay. Oh, yeah.

[00:30:08]>> It's the only place that has the calories on >> I'll add I'll add. But, I appreciate you putting at the end, though. I appreciate this guy puts in the end. Most people put the They be putting all the ads right in the middle of the video. I just can't stand that [ __ ] But, I appreciate putting in the end.

[00:30:21]>> Take a photo, and it gets pretty close.

[00:30:23]>> That'd be awesome. So, How accurate is it?

[00:30:26]>> uploading. So, it even says the rice, steak, scallions, sesame >> Let me see. Let me see.

[00:30:31]>> Wait, so 775 calories in that plate?

[00:30:34]Yeah, it's pretty It's pretty accurate.

[00:30:35]So, I mean, it tells you all the macros.

[00:30:37]>> Not bad. Not bad.

[00:30:38]>> It even logs it here.

[00:30:40]>> Dude, that's nuts.

[00:30:41]>> Yeah.

[00:30:41]>> There's also a new feature where you can upload a recipe including ingredients, instructions, and servings all with just a snap of a picture.

[00:30:48]>> So, if you guys want to try the MacroFactor app, make sure to use code will for 2 weeks free.

[00:30:52]>> We are now in Chungno, which is known as the obesity drug Mecca of the world. And literally every single building is a pharmacy just selling fat loss drugs.

[00:31:03]It's actually pretty insane. So, there's a pharmacy right here.

[00:31:07]And then there's a pharmacy right here.

[00:31:10]And then literally like 5 more feet there's another pharmacy right here.

[00:31:16]And then next door is another pharmacy.

[00:31:19]And then across the street there's more pharmacies over there.

[00:31:23]Which is like I don't know why you need this many pharmacies. I guess the demand is super super high. So, we are going to see how easy it is for me to go to a clinic, get a prescription, >> This is totally interesting. The low-key I'll I'll actually I'll actually watch like a documentary of this.

[00:31:41]A what?

[00:31:43]Let me Let me Let me add this to your playlist, yo. Save this later, yo.

[00:31:46]Sounds interesting, too.

[00:31:48]But uh Let me see.

[00:32:01]>> and get some Wegovy.

[00:32:02]Let's see.

[00:32:03]Is this it here?

[00:32:04]>> Here.

[00:32:05]>> Oh, [ __ ] >> Wow.

[00:32:08]>> be busy.

[00:32:08]>> Yes.

[00:32:17]>> What's the name that you use in Korea?

[00:32:19]>> Well, Will. I just walked in, said my name, gave my ID, and it's good.

[00:32:26]Do you have a preference of Wegovy or Mounjaro? What does he recommend?

[00:32:30]>> What the [ __ ] are these names, yo?

[00:32:33]Wegovy and Mounjaro?

[00:32:35]>> He said then you would have to get a consultation with the doctor. So, I have to see him here right now. Right now.

[00:32:40]Is it a long wait? I don't think it's going to take that long.

[00:32:43]>> Okay.

[00:32:43]>> We're in the waiting room right now for the weight loss drugs. Everyone in here is also here for the same thing. People are just coming in, asking for it, and they're like, "Yeah, just take a seat, meet with the doctor, and you're good."

[00:32:53]So, we're going to have a prescription in like 15 minutes, which is crazy here.

[00:32:58]Okay.

[00:32:59]Here we go.

[00:33:01]>> Is it your first time to lose weight?

[00:33:03]>> Yes, first time.

[00:33:04]>> How about your height?

[00:33:06]>> 6 ft.

[00:33:07]>> How about your weight?

[00:33:08]>> Around 200.

[00:33:11]90.

[00:33:12]90, yeah.

[00:33:13]>> What is your current and normal body weight?

[00:33:16]>> I just want to get shredded.

[00:33:17]>> Mhm.

[00:33:18]>> After I gave the doctor my height, weight, and goal, he implemented my stats into a BMI chart and called me obese.

[00:33:24]>> In this presentation, the average BMI will have the sum >> He's obese?

[00:33:28]Oh my god, you have to see me, yo.

[00:33:30]They'll be like, "Yo, you're hospital-level obese, yo." If you think this guy's obese, I'm GG, yo.

[00:33:36]>> [laughter] >> I'll be in the maximum red line, yo.

[00:33:41]Crazy. Yo, world tennis number one is obese? That's GG, man. Come on.

[00:33:45]>> My index is on 24.27.

[00:33:49]>> And he kept adding lower weights until it put me in the normal category.

[00:33:52]>> If you have to sum weight loss about 15 kg, you will enter into the normal body weight.

[00:33:58]>> And I'll be healthier?

[00:33:59]>> Yeah.

[00:33:59]>> Okay. Perfect. The doctor is telling me I have to lose 15 kg or 33 lbs without any sort of background knowledge of my medical history or even my body composition, as fat and muscle ratios greatly impact your BMI score. And these lax measures are causing serious harm.

[00:34:16]And just like that, within a matter of minutes, I got a prescription, adding to Korea's major drug misuse problem. Oh, she's asking if you want to get the injection here right now.

[00:34:25]>> No, I'll do it later.

[00:34:26]>> Yeah, yeah.

[00:34:27]>> All right, so this is pretty insane. We got it super easy, within like 10 minutes.

[00:34:32]And there it is.

[00:34:33]>> He's going to He's going to try it out?

[00:34:34]>> the >> said I need to get to 75 >> Oh, but the video's about to end. He's about to say part two. Tune in in part two for next week.

[00:34:42][ __ ] man. Me 17 Oh, [ __ ] bro. This guy's going to cut parts, bro.

[00:34:47]I actually want to see this, but he's going to be like, "Yo, oh, you got You guys got to tune in for next week, yo."

[00:34:51]He's going to say some [ __ ] like that.

[00:34:53]>> kilograms.

[00:34:54]>> There's only 1 minute left.

[00:34:55]>> I'm thinking about it, that's below my bodybuilding contest weight. So, I think >> What?

[00:35:01]>> Yeah, you'd be like 168 lbs or something. That's how much I weigh, and I'm 5'8".

[00:35:05]>> Woo!

[00:35:06]>> Yeah. Yeah, so I don't They don't look at >> That's not healthy.

[00:35:09]>> body fat percentage. They just go like, "Okay, height, weight, you're obese."

[00:35:13]And then there's no other discussion about like, "Do you work out consistently?" They just Here you go.

[00:35:18]150 bucks.

[00:35:20]>> Yeah, I don't think he even asked you any questions about your overall health.

[00:35:23]Yeah, there was like no diagnosis. He was just like, "Oh, you want the drug?

[00:35:26]Like, okay, here's how to use it, you know, here's some side effects to expect." And I think they even offered to give you your first injection like right now.

[00:35:32]>> Yeah, yeah, yeah, but I'm not going to do that. No. I just got it for a prop.

[00:35:36]I'm not going to use it.

[00:35:37]>> Okay, okay.

[00:35:38]>> I'm not going to use it.

[00:35:40]>> It's clear Korea is facing a serious issue that can't be ignored. The relentless pressure to look a certain way, combined with a deeply ingrained culture of body shaming, is quietly taking a toll on people's lives. Over time, it doesn't just affect how you see yourself, it consumes your thoughts entirely, and eventually you give in.

[00:35:58]>> He's definitely going to try it out.

[00:36:00]Part two, he's going to try it out.

[00:36:01]Watch him calling here.