Actress Jang Nara is the latest k-celebrity to admit to suffering from bulimia. The Hallyu star admitted to the eating disorder during the television show SBS' "Healing Camp." The star of "Fated To Love You" not only confessed to battling an eating disorder but to suffering from overwhelming anxiety during her career.
"I went through serious bulimia," she said. "Then I got so anxious that I could not take flights for a while. When I boarded a plane, I would scream and cry out of fear."
Fans who associate the actress with her bright and cheerful onscreen characters may be surprised to learn that she has suffered from panic disorders, bulimia and acrophobia. Many of these problems relate to the pressure she faced because of her celebrity. Not only did she face the pressure of performing, but she also found it difficult to deal with rumors that occasionally circulated about her.
Jang Nara debuted as a singer in 2001, signing a contract with SM Entertainment. SM dropped her because they were not confident in her ability to become a first-rate achieve success in star but her first album reached number 12 in the music charts. She became popular as an actress after starring in the sitcom "New Nonstop" and that helped her musical career.
As an actress she's known for her roles in several dramas, including "Baby Faced Beauty and "Successful Story of a Bright Girl" and "School 2013." She won a Baeksang Best Actress Award for her role in "Successful Story of a Bright Girl." She will next appear in the fantasy comedy "Mr. Baek."
And hopefully her anxious days are behind her.
Other celebrities who have admitted to bulimia include Seo In Guk, whose bulimia was so bad for a while that it began to damage his singing voice. When Seo In Guk appeared on the television show "News and Issue," he said that during his first audition for JYP he was asked to lose some weight. Unfortunately, he did not do so the healthy way and became bulimic.
Although he lost weight by his next JYP audition, vomiting damaged his vocal chords. As a result, the judges criticized him for not practicing his singing. Seo In Guk cautioned fans to never try this unhealthy approach.
IU also received treatment for bulimia. When she appeared on "Healing Camp" she admitted that she would eat because she felt empty and then because she felt anxious, she would throw up.
"My heart was empty. I always felt anxious after I made my debut and from a certain time, I filled the void through food," said IU. "At that time, I ate until I threw up and I even sought treatment."
Unfortunately, becoming a successful star did not help these actors feel comfortable with who they are. Fortunately, they all sought treatment. How do you feel about the kind of pressure these stars face?
