In a deeply vulnerable and courageous moment, former 4Minute powerhouse vocalist Heo Gayoon has opened up about a private battle she fought for seven years.
During the February 25 broadcast of tvN’s hit show You Quiz on the Block, Gayoon sat down to discuss her life following the disbandment of her group. While fans may have wondered about her activities, few knew the severity of the personal struggles she was enduring behind the scenes. Gayoon revealed that she suffered from a severe binge eating disorder triggered by the uncertainty of her career path.
“I endured a very difficult period, and eventually my body broke down,” she confessed. “It started with insomnia and developed into binge eating disorder.”
Detailing the intensity of the disorder, Gayoon described episodes where she would completely empty out convenience store shelves. “I bought everything—lunch boxes, bread, sandwiches. I filled my basket with snacks, then went back a second and third time,” she recalled.
She emphasized that this behavior was far removed from simply having a healthy appetite. The compulsion was so strong that physical pain was the only thing that could stop her. “I couldn’t feel full. I only stopped when my stomach hurt so badly it felt like it would burst,” she explained. The urge to eat would overtake her mind completely, leading her to rush out in a padded jacket—even at home—just to buy more food, often eating it before she could even take her coat off.
The reality of her situation often hit her after the binge, seeing piles of wrappers or her swollen face in the mirror, which brought her to tears. Eventually, she confided in her parents and sought professional help.
Her doctor provided a diagnosis that shed light on the root cause: her personality. “You have strong perfectionist tendencies and obsessive traits. Just like a rubber band snaps when stretched too far, the part of you that controls yourself has broken down,” the doctor told her.
Alongside this battle, Gayoon also faced setbacks in her acting career and the tragic loss of her older brother. Today, she is healing and starting a new chapter of her life in Bali.
