(ANN/THE KOREA HERALD) – Research indicates that the obesity levels among children and adolescents in South Korea are steadily increasing, and a recent report reveals that it is the highest in East Asia.
In 2022, 43 per cent of males and 24.6 per cent of females aged 5-19 in the country were found to be obese, according to a 2024 report by a joint research team comprising the National Evidence-based Healthcare Collaborating Agency, SoonChunHyang University Bucheon Hospital, Korea University Anam Hospital and Korea University College of Health Science. South Korea marked the highest obesity rate in that age group among all nations in East Asia.
In comparison to 2010, the obesity rate among boys grew by 6.8 percentage points, whereas the rate for girls went up by 3.1 percentage points. “The substantial increase in obesity rates, particularly among Korean boys, is worrisome. … There needs to be a multiangle solution (for this issue) such as promoting healthy eating habits, increasing physical activities and implementing effective public health policies,” the researchers noted in the study.
A report from the Ministry of Education in 2023 revealed that 29.6 per cent of students in elementary, middle and high school were obese, rising from 23.9 per cent in 2017. It indicated that 34.4 per cent of the students in rural areas were obese, while 28.7 per cent of those in urban areas were obese.
South Korea employs a more stringent definition of obesity compared to various other countries and global organisations. It classifies a body mass index of 25 as obese, which is the threshold used by the WHO for the Asia-Pacific region, while broader international standards consider obesity as a BMI of 30 or higher. Local researchers, including those mentioned above, applied the lower threshold to determine the figures for obesity rates.
As of 2022, the World Obesity Federation ranks South Korea 38th globally for boys’ obesity at a rate of 19.89 per cent and 99th for girls’ obesity at 8.07 per cent, using the BMI 30 criteria. As per the 2022 data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the adult obesity rate in South Korea is 5.9 per cent, placing it at No. 31 of 32 OECD countries.
Both local and international data consistently point to a growing obesity problem among South Korean children.
A report from the Korean Society for the Study of Obesity in 2023 indicated that from 2012 to 2021, the obesity rate for those aged 6-18 rose across all age groups, with the rate for children aged 10-12 growing by 2.5 times and the rate for those aged 16-18 doubling during that time.
