While the K-Pop industry is infamous for its arbitrary and often unhealthy body standards for female idols, fans can also propagate those same standards consciously and unconsciously. A recent social media post became a glaring example of this phenomenon.
The post in question featured Liz from IVE, with a video comparing her past and current appearances.
Liz | @liz.yeyo/Instagram
The OP (original poster) wrote in the caption, “The biggest glow up ever.”
losing weight is considered a glow up?? I can’t even imagine the pressure that girl must’ve felt https://t.co/yuIWEUdpc5
— shai…? (@njzyssz) February 5, 2026
However, it wasn’t lost on netizens that the video was ultimately praising Liz’s extreme weight loss after a period when she was vehemently hated for having put on weight. The reactions to the post reflected this understanding, with many calling out the overall culture of associating weight loss with a “glow up.”
This tweet is backhanded as fuck. And no wonder why she was the least popular member for years and all of a sudden she gets popular when she lose weight, this is lowkey why groups feel fake as fuck,because of fans,the companies only highlights what’s attractive to them https://t.co/Q7RWOMjfjy
— . (@omonajeans) February 6, 2026
idk guys maybe calling it glow up when it’s a girl that’s been clearly forced by the industry to lose weight to appeal to an audience that glorifies starved bodies is not quite the move https://t.co/9Ods6R4Ryn
— lu ౨ৎ (@sulreve) February 6, 2026
i wish yall would outright say you thought she was fat instead of this backhanded shit, if you’re gonna be a cunt just be a cunt https://t.co/38Ro1tK01y
— glamrock neo ྀི YUJU P01 (@hiyyeonie) February 5, 2026
i hate when yall try to glamorize the bullying and pressure she felt by the industry to change so fast and rapidly and mask it under “a glow up” https://t.co/w7ySf0VYJK
— bey ★ ℮ 🏰 (@wendujing) February 6, 2026
She has been beautiful all her life. This is not a glow up, you people just bully her previous body just because she has fat. Which any healthy growing body should have https://t.co/4jAUHBev0K
— kit (@xiurealz) February 6, 2026
losing weight is considered a glow up?? I can’t even imagine the pressure that girl must’ve felt https://t.co/yuIWEUdpc5
— shai…? (@njzyssz) February 5, 2026
Given the intense pressure girl group members are often under, posts like such, though encouraging on the surface, end up feeding into the toxic beauty standards. Aside from Liz, other IVE members, including Yujin and Rei, have also been targeted with malicious comments over their weight changes in the past. Hence, the onus of dismantling the unhealthy standards the K-pop industry is called out for also lies significantly with the public.