One out of every three adults in South Korea is obese. (Image courtesy of Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, Oct. 20 (Korea Bizwire) – One out of every three adults in South Korea is obese, with the obesity rate for those in their 30s exceeding 50 percent. Regionally, Jeju Island has the highest obesity rate.
On Wednesday, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) unveiled the current trends in obesity rates reported by municipal governments based on the Regional Society Health Survey.
The obesity rate in South Korea is defined as the percentage of people with a BMI (Body Mass Index) over 25, encompassing those categorized as overweight, obese, and extremely obese. BMI is calculated as a person’s body mass divided by the square of their height.
The national adult obesity rate stood at 32.5 percent last year, an increase of 0.3 percentage points from the 32.2 percent recorded in 2021. After exhibiting an upward trend, the national obesity rate slightly decreased to 31.3 percent in 2020 from 31.8 percent in 2018. However, it rebounded in 2021 due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.
In terms of age, the obesity rate was highest among individuals in their 30s, at 35.8 percent, followed by those in their 40s at 34.1 percent and those in their 50s at 31.5 percent.
Regarding gender, the obesity rate for men was significantly higher at 40.2 percent, in stark contrast to the 22.1 percent among women.
Notably, the obesity rate for men in their 30s was a staggering 51.4 percent. In other words, one out of every two men in their 30s is obese. This was followed by those in their 40s at 48.1 percent, individuals in their 50s at 40.1 percent, those in their 60s at 33 percent, and those in their 70s at 27.9 percent.
The primary reason for the high obesity rate among men in their 30s is attributed to their reduced physical activity compared to those in their 20s, and an increase in drinking and prolonged periods of sitting at workplaces as they begin their careers in earnest.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
