Tuesday, October 15, 2024

Actress drops 50kgs for Chinese film hit You Only Live Once

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The weight-loss journey of a Chinese film star who shed an astonishing 50 kilograms in a year has captivated the internet in China.

Jia Ling unveiled her remarkable transformation in her latest film You Only Live Once (YOLO).

YOLO’s main character becomes a fan of boxing and weight training.(Supplied)

It’s been a hit in China, and in less than a month has made more than $726 million at the box office.

YOLO opens in Australia on Thursday.

Jia said her film is more about “self-love” than “body transformation”.

However, many have questioned whether the film, which is meant to be uplifting, has exposed audiences to another round of content that could drive body-image anxiety.

The buzz around the film and Jia’s transformation was fuelled by her year-long absence from the public eye.

She had vanished to dedicate herself to a program of intense strength training.

Video clips showcasing Jia’s work-out routine, featuring body-weight training that she calls animal flow, and her deadlifting 120kg, have gone viral.

The (translated) tag #Jia Ling losing 50kgs has received more than 800 million views on Weibo.

On Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, short videos of people talking about her weight loss have been viewed more than 1 million times.

Her year of low-carb, high-protein, intermittent dieting, combined with her intense training led to her dropping from 105kg to 55kg.

She’s inspired people across China.

Since the movie’s premiere in early February, interest in gym memberships and personal trainers has surged across China, according to local reports.

‘Desperate for a change’

Adapted from the award-winning Japanese movie 100 Yen Love, YOLO’s main character is Du Leying.

She is an obese woman who hits rock bottom then falls in love with boxing and achieves her dream of getting in shape.

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