"Leaving a Healthy Image of Myself" The 'Body Profile' Craze Among the 2030 Generation [Heo Midam's Youth Report]

'Body Profile' Popular Among Young Adults Who Exercise
5 out of 10 Adults Say "Many People Around Them Exercise Regularly"
Experts Warn "SNS Influence... Excessive Exercise Should Be Avoided"

Citizens are exercising on treadmills at a gym in Seoul. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Editor's NoteHow is your youth remembered? From teenagers to college students and office workers, we bring you the joys and sorrows, worries and laughter unique to 'youth.'

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] # Office worker Kim (29) registered at a gym a month ago to document the last moments of his twenties through photos. Kim said, "My goal is to take a body profile photo this August," adding, "I am following the diet plan created by my fitness trainer and exercising. I have already booked the photo studio." He continued, "I also use a nearby gym during my lunch breaks at work to exercise whenever I can," and added, "Seeing my body gradually change while working out boosts my self-esteem."

Recently, a 'body profile' craze has been sweeping among young people. A body profile refers to professionally photographing one's body sculpted through exercise at a specialized studio. In the past, celebrities, models, and athletes mainly took these photos, but as more young people take up exercise as a hobby, body profiles have gained popularity. Experts analyze that social networking services (SNS) have significantly influenced young people to build healthy bodies.

As the COVID-19 pandemic prolonged, many people felt a thirst for exercise. According to a survey conducted by market research firm Embrain Trend Monitor on 1,000 adults with exercise experience, 80.7% of respondents said, "I usually pay attention to managing my health." Also, 48.6% felt that "many people around me exercise regularly."

College student Jung (25) said, "It seems like no one I know these days doesn't exercise. A few years ago, many people didn't exercise, but at some point, they started going to the gym, Pilates, or yoga," adding, "I also recently enrolled in a Pilates academy."

A citizen is exercising at a gym. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Young people have gone beyond just exercising and started to capture photos of their bodies shaped through exercise. On SNS and YouTube, it is easy to find people preparing for body profiles. Especially on Instagram, posts tagged with '#bodyprofile' exceed 1.92 million, showing great popularity.

One netizen posted a photo of themselves working out at the gym, saying, "Only two weeks left until the body profile. Let's work hard for two weeks and create a result with no regrets," and added, "Even if I'm hungry, I'll endure a little more."

Some office workers also use their lunch breaks to exercise in preparation for body profiles. Another office worker Kim (28), who took a body profile photo last March, said, "I prepared for three months before taking the body profile. Even if I wanted to eat something, I couldn't, and I had to follow the diet plan made by my trainer, eating only chicken breast and such," adding, "So I inevitably brought a chicken breast lunchbox to eat alone during lunch breaks at work."

However, some have pointed out the need to be cautious about side effects caused by body profiles. Since many undergo extreme diet control and high-intensity exercise while preparing, there is a risk of experiencing side effects.

A YouTuber with over 70,000 subscribers also confessed, "I regret taking the body profile," saying, "After taking the photos, I developed diet obsession and binge eating disorder. Because I couldn't eat the foods I wanted during preparation, my suppressed appetite exploded all at once after taking the body profile."

Experts analyze that the body profile craze among young people is related to SNS. Professor Kwak Geumju of the Department of Psychology at Seoul National University said, "Young people who manage themselves through exercise have existed for a long time. But with the rise of SNS, it has gone beyond just having a healthy body to a kind of display through SNS," adding, "In the past, body profiles were mostly taken by celebrities or athletes. But as more ordinary people take body profiles, others are also motivated to try."

She continued, "Exercise can bring satisfaction and relieve stress, so it has many positive functions," adding, "However, excessive exercise should be avoided. Exercise can also be addictive, so one should be cautious about overdoing it."