Health experts emphasize that obesity is no longer merely a lifestyle or cosmetic issue but a serious medical condition requiring prevention and treatment. (Image courtesy of Pixabay/CCL)
SEOUL, Dec. 31 (Korea Bizwire) — More than half of South Koreans with diabetes are obese, with abdominal obesity particularly prevalent among patients in their 30s and 40s, according to new findings released this week by the nation’s leading diabetes experts.
The Korean Diabetes Association said its analysis of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey spanning 2012 to 2023 found that 52.4 percent of adults aged 19 and older with diabetes were classified as obese. Obesity rates were especially high among younger patients, affecting 81.3 percent of those in their 30s and 76.7 percent of those in their 40s.
Abdominal obesity — defined in South Korea as a waist circumference of at least 90 centimeters for men and 85 centimeters for women — was even more widespread. Overall, 61.1 percent of people with diabetes met the criteria, rising to 70.1 percent among those in their 30s and 75.8 percent in their 40s.
The findings, published in the “Diabetes Fact Sheet 2025: Special Edition,” show that over the past 12 years obesity and abdominal obesity have steadily increased among male diabetes patients, while abdominal obesity has risen sharply among women.
The association warned that abdominal obesity significantly raises the risk of complications and certain cancers, calling for earlier intervention and personalized treatment strategies for diabetes patients with excess abdominal fat.
The data also showed that diabetes prevalence among obese individuals stood at 17.6 percent — nearly double that of non-obese adults. Among obese people aged 65 and older, nearly one in three had diabetes.
Obesity was also linked to poorer disease control. Only 39.9 percent of obese diabetes patients achieved target blood sugar levels, compared with 42.3 percent of non-obese patients. The proportion managing blood sugar, blood pressure and LDL cholesterol simultaneously was also lower among obese patients, at 21 percent versus 24.7 percent.
“Obesity increases insulin resistance, making blood sugar control more difficult,” a spokesperson for the association said, stressing that weight and abdominal fat management should be a priority for younger diabetes patients to prevent long-term complications.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
