Singer Lena Katina revealed on the program The Stars Aligned that her gallbladder was removed after years of extreme dieting impacted her health. The discussion highlights how intense weight loss pressures can lead to serious medical consequences.
Katina recounts that her weight began dropping when she was 14, following comments from Ivan Shapovalov, the producer associated with the duo t.A.T.u. He reportedly accused her of being overweight and urged a loss of as much as 45 kilograms. At that time she measured about 55 kilograms and felt compared unfavorably to her duet partner, Yulia Volkova, which left her feeling diminished and vulnerable. The experience painted a painful picture of a young artist pressured to conform to an ideal body image.
“Vanya said: Lose weight,” Katina recalled. The pressure of adolescence can distort self-perception and drive dangerous choices. She described how she began skipping meals, focusing on cucumber and tomato diets, and eventually experienced fainting due to hunger. The episodes were a wake-up call about the toll dieting can exact on a growing body and a developing relationship with food.
During this period Katina experimented with several unhealthy regimens. She recalls using extreme methods, including days of watermelon-only eating and diuretic use. Family members, including her mother and grandmother, expressed worry and attempted to intervene, but she persisted. In three months she managed to shed about ten kilos, yet the weight promptly returned, illustrating the frustrating cycle of yo-yo dieting and the risk of long-term health damage.
Ultimately, Katina connected her dieting experiences to an eating disorder, a consequence that extended beyond temporary weight loss and affected her overall well-being. The pressures surrounding teen fame can obscure the line between discipline and harm, underscoring the need for healthier, sustainable approaches to body image and health.
By age 20, Katina faced another medical crisis when a gallbladder stone caused severe colic. She underwent surgery to remove the gallbladder along with the stone. Since then she has described a shift in her eating habits, moving toward mindful, gradual consumption to avoid future complications. The narrative reflects a broader truth: sustainable health comes from balanced choices and compassionate self-care, not punitive dieting or rapid fixes.
In related disclosures, another public figure, Masha Malinovskaya, has spoken about bulimia in similar contexts, underscoring that conversations about eating disorders cross gender and celebrity status. These stories collectively illuminate the risks of extreme dieting and the importance of recognizing warning signs early, seeking medical guidance, and prioritizing long-term health over short-term appearance goals.