"I Once Weighed More Than 80 kg": Lee Young-ah Reveals Her Dieting Experience [Health Talk]

[Financial News]  Actress Lee Young-ah revealed that she weighed more than 80 kg during middle school and that her weight had recently increased to 70 kg. As people age, changes in muscle mass and physical activity can cause the body to respond differently even to the same weight-loss method.
On the 27th, Lee Young-ah, Kim Jung-eun, Jo Young-gu, and Seo Ji-seok appeared on MBN's "Queen Maker" and shared their dieting experiences. Lee Young-ah spoke about her weight changes, saying, "I feel a certain sense of mission when it comes to dieting." She added, "I used to weigh quite a lot. I was a little over 80 kg."

When Kim Jung-eun reacted with surprise, Lee Young-ah said, "I can't believe it myself," adding, "80 kg once in middle school, and 70 kg recently." The program also showed photos of Lee Young-ah from her middle school years.
She also said that weight management changed as she got older. Lee Young-ah said, "Dieting was relatively easy when I was in my teens."


A high body weight does not automatically mean that a person is obese. Weight includes not only fat but also muscle, bone, and body water.
The Obesity and Metabolism Center at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital says it is difficult to determine obesity based on weight alone and advises considering BMI and body fat levels together. Because muscle and bone are heavier than fat, body composition can differ even among people who weigh the same.
In adults, BMI is generally calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in meters squared. In South Korea, a BMI of 25 or higher is classified as obesity, but this figure does not fully reflect muscle mass or fat distribution.
For this reason, it is difficult to determine Lee Young-ah's health status or degree of obesity at the time based solely on the figures she disclosed—80 kg in the past and 70 kg more recently. Her height, body fat percentage, muscle mass, and waist circumference must also be considered.

As Lee Young-ah said, "Dieting was relatively easy when I was in my teens," weight-management conditions can vary with age. Changes in muscle mass and physical activity are particularly influential.
Asan Medical Center's disease encyclopedia states that muscle mass, strength, and function may decline with age. A reduction in muscle mass can also lower the basal metabolic rate, changing energy expenditure even when a person maintains the same routine.
However, it cannot be said categorically that losing weight necessarily becomes more difficult simply because a person is older. Many factors—including food intake, physical activity, sleep, medical conditions, medications, and hormonal changes—affect weight.
Weight loss is not simply a matter of "how much less you eat." The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA)'s National Health Information Portal advises people to balance their energy intake with expenditure based on their individual needs for healthy weight control. This involves regulating total energy intake while maintaining a balanced intake of nutrients such as carbohydrates, fats, and protein.

The fact that Lee Young-ah was in middle school when she weighed more than 80 kg should also be considered separately from dieting in adulthood. Adolescence is a period of continued growth and development.
The National Health Information Portal advises against rapid weight loss during adolescence unless a young person has severe obesity. It warns that excessive dietary restrictions or reliance on diet supplements can lead to impaired growth, nutritional imbalances, and eating disorders.
Obesity in children and adolescents is also not determined using the same BMI figures as for adults alone. The KDCA says BMI percentiles based on sex and age are used, and that nutrition appropriate to the stage of growth and physical activity should be considered together.

In adult weight management, it is also important to consider body composition and health indicators alongside the number of kilograms lost. The Obesity Clinic at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital says treatment is tailored to each patient, starting with dietary and exercise adjustments and including medication when necessary. Obesity-related conditions such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, and fatty liver are also managed.
Maintaining muscle mass is also part of weight management. Asan Medical Center says that for people with reduced muscle strength or sarcopenia, combining adequate protein intake with resistance and aerobic exercise can be helpful.
The National Health Information Portal recommends consuming the amount of energy appropriate to one's needs and following an eating pattern that balances intake with energy expenditure for healthy weight control. If weight rises or falls significantly over a short period, people should examine the cause of the change and their current health status rather than focus solely on reducing the number on the scale.

[email protected] Han Seung-gon Reporter