As Obesity Falls, New Concerns Rise for Korea’s Youth: Eyesight, Cavities, and Health Equity (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
South Korean High School Freshmen Average 172.9 cm in Height as Student Obesity Declines for Third Year
SEOUL, April 30 (Korea Bizwire) — At a glance, the data reads like good news: South Korea’s teens are growing taller, and for the third year in a row, fewer of them are obese.
But behind the steady gains in physical growth lies a more complex reality — one marked by worsening eyesight, a rise in dental issues, and stark regional health disparities that point to deeper challenges in the lives of today’s students.
According to the Ministry of Education’s newly released 2024 Student Health Survey, the average height of first-year high school boys reached 172.9 cm, with girls averaging 161.3 cm — virtually unchanged from recent years and consistent with long-term trends in adolescent growth.
Obesity, once a rising concern in schools, is now on a modest but consistent decline. In 2024, 29.3% of students were classified as overweight or obese, down slightly from the previous year. The decrease was observed across all school levels, with the lowest rates in middle school and the highest in high school.
But that’s only part of the story.
The Eyes Have It: A Growing Concern
As South Korean classrooms continue to digitize — with smartphones, tablets, and e-learning platforms becoming ubiquitous — so too do vision problems. This year’s survey found that 57% of students now have some degree of visual impairment, defined as unaided vision below 0.7 in either eye or the use of corrective lenses.
That’s a 1.05 percentage point increase from the previous year, reversing a brief downward trend that had started in 2022.
For many parents and educators, it’s an alarming shift that reflects both the promise and pitfalls of South Korea’s hyperconnected education system.
As obesity rates decline, concerns over eyesight, dental health, and rural disparities reveal a deeper challenge in shaping the well-being of a new generation. (Image created by ChatGPT)
A Toothache in the Trend Line
Perhaps more surprising is the return of an old problem: cavities. After years of steady improvement, dental health outcomes have begun to slip. In 2024, 18.7% of students were diagnosed with tooth decay, up from 17.27% the year before.
It marks the first increase in cavity prevalence since 2019 — a potentially early signal that preventative dental care, particularly in younger age groups, may need renewed attention.
Rural Risk Factors and Uneven Gains
Geography, too, plays a role in student health. The survey found that 33.1% of students in rural areas were classified as overweight or obese, compared to just 28.6% in urban settings.
While the gap narrowed slightly from the previous year, it remains a reminder that location — and access to resources — still shapes health outcomes in significant ways.
To get a clearer picture of potential long-term risks, the ministry also conducted targeted blood tests for overweight students in grades 4, middle school year 1, and high school year 1.
The results were sobering: 26.8% had elevated triglyceride levels, 16.4% had high total cholesterol, and nearly 13% showed abnormal LDL cholesterol — all early warning signs for future cardiovascular issues.
A Policy Imperative
For Education Minister Lee Ju-ho, the findings offer both validation and a call to action.
“It’s encouraging to see obesity rates decline,” Lee said, “but we must do more to protect students’ eyesight and dental health. Our focus is on fostering lifelong habits through health education.”
The ministry plans to release the full survey later this month on its official health information portal, where the data will help shape school health programs and national policy for years to come.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
