Name: The pressure to be thin in Asia - Asia Specific podcast, BBC World Service
Uploaded: 2026-02-24T11:46:28.000Z
Duration: 16 min 29 s
Description: Thousands of YouTube videos with English-Chinese subtitles! Now you can learn to understand native speakers, expand your vocabulary, and improve your pronunciation...

Remember when body positivity was the buzzword?

The Western fashion industry was less obsessed with thinness as more plus size models commanded the catwalks.

Now, some say the fashion world has done a 180 degree turn.

But was Asia ever on board with body positivity?

And has the widespread use of weight loss drugs normalized thinness beyond the catwalk?

I'm Mariko in Singapore and this is Asia Specific from the BBC World Service.

Twice a week we bring you Asia Pacific stories unpacked by those who know them best.

And today I have Rachel Lee from our Asia Specific podcast team.

Thank you for joining me on Asia Pacific.

So I think it's important to emphasize firstly that this obsession with thinness, it is not specific to this part of the world.

then I moved to Australia, lived in other countries like the UK and the us and I personally definitely noticed a difference in what's considered to be skinny, normal and fat.

So for example, I'm 154cm, which is I think 5ft So I grew up thinking I need to be about 40kg.

And then I moved to Australia, gained about 50, 15kg.

I was like 55kg after falling in love with like sausage rolls and meat pies and chocolate biscuits and stuff.

And yet everyone in Australia was like, oh, that's normal, you were just too skinny.

So firstly, Rachel, what's been your experience growing up in South Korea, which I think would probably share similar perception of thinness as Japan?

I mean, in South Korea you get a sense that weight is more than just health, it's more, more about beauty.

So I've seen this ideal body weight chart and this is just different from the regular like average healthy weight chart.

So if you look at this ideal weight chart, the numbers are quite different from west and Asia.

You can easily come across these charts on social media.

You just screenshot it, share it with your friends and family casually.

But if you, as I said, like, if you look into the numbers, they're extremely low.

So the average height of Asian woman is considered to be 162 centimeters.

But according to this chart, the ideal weight is about 48kg.

So to some people that might seem quite impossible.

And this could actually push to a really unhealthy, extreme diet.

So what would be the Western ideal weight for that 162cm.

Also, if you just look at how people are easily commenting in each other's body, people's weight, and

you just casually give them fashion tips like whether you are upper body fat and lower body fat, you want to avoid wearing like tight jeans or short skirts or, you know, stuff like that.

You just feel like your body is something that needs to be constantly corrected.

And the fact that people are mentioning about your body, you just naturally get really self conscious.

I actually saw that Asian version of the chart.

Jenny, you grew up in the US and you moved to Asia a couple of years ago.

Did you notice the kind of difference between the US and here?

Certainly, I think in the US there's definitely a pressure to have low weight for women as well.

But I think there's also balancing the weight demands with the kind of aesthetic demands, which is a lot of exaggerated proportions, you know, a la Kim Kardashian.

you're also supposed to have the really big butt and the really big breasts.

And, you know, growing up somewhat curvy as an Asian woman, that was.

It was impossible to find not just my size of clothing, but

Because in Asian spaces, so, you know, going to potlucks with my aunties and uncles, it's always, I'm too big.

But then in more Western American circles, it's always, well, you're so skinny.

So you're just constantly navigating this like you don't fit anywhere.

Everyone's always trying to correct your body or make you look different.

And I guess in Asia, it's fair to say people tend to be naturally skinnier.

And when you're surrounded by people like that, if you're slightly bigger at school or whatever, I guess it can become a cause of bullying to unnecessary comments.

Rachel, why do you think this kind of obsession to be thin, why do you think it's more intense in Asia?

Well, I think it has to do with something that I've just talked about.

People commenting on each other's looks, body weight, and the fact that people are evaluating you.

And not to mention that In Asia, thinness is perceived that you're well disciplined or well self controlled.

And this also reflects really well in job market as well.

So in your professional life, let's say you want to get a job in a job market in Asia, especially if it's a consumer facing roles or some kind of a job that requires you to wear a uniform.

And I've seen a lot of my friends who wanted to become flight attendants and they keep going on this extreme diet before interview because the applicants are asked to line up and just visually be compared.

And you know, the fear is not being rejected, but it's more about standing out.

And standing out physically in Asia is definitely a disadvantage.

She's one of the earliest body positivity influencer in South Korea and the first, very first regular size model.

My size is actually one of the most common sizes in Korea.

But I feel media only celebrates bodies that are extremely thin.

Those bodies are portrayed as successful aspirational role models.

So we grow up thinking those bodies represent a good life, while our own bodies are ordinary, flawed and something that needs fixing.

That belief becomes deeply ingrained from a young age, creating a subconscious sense that our bodies are an unfinished assignment in life.

During my school years, I used to think my real life would begin only after I lose weight.

The more obsessed I became, the less I ate.

Eventually I developed an eating disorder and after that I stopped meeting people and became socially redrawn.

I think this problem is deeply tied to the social roles imposed on women in East Asian societies.

Expectations of being passive, delicate and protected.

From a young age, women receive constant appearance based evaluations.

So very personal story that she was sharing there, her experience of an eating disorder.

I have to say I had it when I was 16, 17 when I gained all that weight in Australia.

And I think because I didn't speak English, I felt like the only thing I could control was the amount of calories I consumed.

And every morning you weigh yourself and you can see the results very quickly.

So Jenny, you are a chef and it feels like, you know, when someone has an eating disorder, like I don't think I have it anymore, but

when I feel really stressed, it still feels like it comes back to my head that okay, let's just try and lose weight, let's just starve yourself and you know, feel good, good about yourself.

And then you end up eating because you tell yourself that no, no, no, that's not healthy.

And then you get that real sense of guilt that you ate too much.