With the rise in affluence among many Asian countries and access to western ideals of beauty, it’s no wonder eating disorders have grown significantly in the past few decades among Asians and Asian-Americans.
K-Pop entertainers and other Asian actors, singers, and celebrities conforming to this ideal form of beauty have catapulted South Korea into the world’s leading plastic surgery with more procedures than Brazil or the U.S. per capita. The most popular include double eye-lid surgery which adds another fold to those born with single eyelids and rhinoplasty to make noses pointier.
In Japan, the obsession to have women look “kawaii”, the Japanese word for “cute” is evident as the ideal presented to young, Japanese girls is found in manga, comics, and all things related to Kawaii culture.
Dr. Hiroyuki Suematsu, a professor of clinical psychology at Nagoya University, says Japan’s Anorexia Nervosa rate is 10 times higher than it was 30 years ago. There were no reported cases of bulimia 40 years ago. Today, it’s the country’s biggest eating disorder problem.