AKB48 Minami Minegishi gets fat, then muscular

First she shaved off her hair in a penitence for having sex. Now she is getting fat.

AKB48’s Minami Minegishi has gained weight to pose for this “chubby” idol picture.

Why? Because it is a campaign for the luxury fitness gym RIZAP, which runs intensive programs for getting metropolitan people into shape.

Here is Minegishi in her buff form again.

If you live in Tokyo, you would be familiar with RIZAP for the loud advertising trucks they drive around city, depicting before-and-after images of unhealthy bodies transforming into muscular ones.

The gym has been criticized by some, however, for its overly intensive programs which can have bad effects on the body, especially women (e.g. affecting their menstrual cycle). After all, it can’t be good to go from slightly overweight to muscular so suddenly.