Comedian Kim Shin-young sparked a wave of empathy after candidly revealing the mental toll of extreme weight loss — and the rapid rebound that followed — laying bare the "yo-yo" aftermath that left her on edge and regretful.
On the 28th, tvN’s variety show You Quiz on the Block dropped a teaser featuring Kim. In the clip, she looked back on how a past bout of extreme dieting changed her. "I thought I was fine when I lost a lot of weight, but looking back, I was incredibly sensitive," she admitted. "I think I lived with a grudge against the world." She then stood up, bowed deeply, and added with a laugh, "I’m so sorry."
Kim once lost about 44 kilograms (97 pounds), becoming a poster child for dieting. But she confessed that after stopping strict meal plans, the weight came back fast. "Once I started eating chocolate cake, ramen, jjajangmyeon, and ice cream, it all returned in no time," she said, showing a brutally honest, relatable side.
Opening up about a particularly difficult period, she also shared a story about the late Jeon Yu-seong. When she was suffering panic symptoms, Jeon advised her to "walk around holding hands with people," a memory that brought her to the verge of tears. She recalled another moment from her caregiving days, when she was told, "Don’t hold back — eat what you want and live," a line that reshaped her outlook on life.
Kim’s frank talk about dieting, health, and mindset comes as she enjoys a powerful career upswing, appearing across multiple shows. She recently made history as the first female fixed member on JTBC’s Knowing Bros, and she’s also drawing attention for showing her unfiltered daily life on MBC’s I Live Alone.