Rising youth obesity in Korea poses public health crisis

Industry

Published: 18 Dec. 2023, 17:11 Updated: 18 Dec. 2023, 19:40

Rising youth obesity in Korea poses public health crisis

Rep. Shin Hyun-young, third from left, and the Korean Society for the Study of Obesity President Park Cheol-young, fourth from left, pose for a photo during a policy discussion held at the National Assembly in western Seoul on Monday. [SHIN HA-NEE]

Korea’s younger generation is getting heavier at an alarming rate, experts warn, urging for a shift in perspective to recognize obesity as a chronic disease with potentially lifelong implications.

“The graph that tallies obesity rate has been on a steep rise [in Korea], and I’m afraid this will never take a downturn,” said Park Cheol-young, president of the Korean Society for the Study of Obesity (KSSO), during a policy discussion on Monday, stressing that “the pace which the adolescent obesity rate is rising is striking.”

[INTERVIEW] Pharma firms playing pivotal role in obesity epidemic battle

The policy discussion, held at the National Assembly in western Seoul, was hosted by Rep. Shin Hyun-young of the Democratic Party and organized by the KSSO in order to shine a light on the growing adolescent obesity problem in Korea.

As of 2021, 19.3 percent of kids aged between 6 and 18 were obese, with 25.9 percent of boys and 12.3 percent of girls categorized as being overweight, according to the Ministry of Education’s data.

While being overweight poses a serious threat to the health and well-being of children, many adolescents, especially girls, are grappling with the challenge of being underweight, KSSO's Park pointed out, stating that “we are now standing at a polarizing crossroads sprawling toward either severe obesity or underweight issues.”

Possible policy solutions raised during the discussion include establishing an education and health care system to raise awareness about obesity and constantly monitor and manage the BMI status of students at school, and also expanding national insurance coverage for obesity treatments.

Doctor-turned-lawmaker Rep. Shin said that “after the Covid-19 pandemic, many kids have grown obese,” citing unhealthy lifestyles and eating habits.

“Many of the leaders in our health care sector need to recognize that obesity is a chronic disease that needs to be discovered and treated from the early stages. This will create a foundation where we can make institutional and policy progress,” said Shin.

BY SHIN HA-NEE [shin.hanee@joongang.co.kr]