Nearly half of all men obese, rising from a year earlier, while women's rates decline
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Nearly 50 percent of all Korean men are obese, according to a government study released Tuesday, with the rate for men in their 40s hitting an alarming 61.7 percent.
The study by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency looked at data from 2024, which showed a 48.8 percent obesity rate in men, and a 26.2 percent rate for women.
The rate for men increased by 3.2 percentage points compared to the previous year, while obesity declined 1.6 percentage points in women over the same period.
South Korea defines obesity as those with body mass index of 25 or above, in line with WHO guidance for Asian ethnicities, which has a lower threshold than the 30 used for other groups. The findings are based on a national survey of 10,000 people.
The figure for men in their 40s jumped 11.5 percentage points from the previous year, and was up 16.1 percentage points compared to the 45.6 percent recorded in 2015.
They were followed by men in their 30s (49.1 percent), men in their 50s (48.1 percent), men in their 20s (44.8 percent), men in their 60s (41.7 percent), and those aged 70 and above (31.4 percent).
Women had lower obesity rates across all age groups, with the highest rate among women aged 70 above, at 38.3 percent. The rate decreased with age, reaching 20.4 percent among women in their 20s.
The study also showed that 13.3 percent of men and 7.8 percent of women had diabetes, while 26.3 percent of men and 17.7 percent of women had high blood pressure.
Fewer Koreans were smoking or vaping, with 36 percent of men and 6.9 percent of women saying they are using tobacco products. Both figures were down 1.4 percentage points compared to 2023.
The rate for high-risk drinking among adults stood at 13.6 percent in 2024, marginally down from 13.8 percent the previous year. High-risk drinking is defined as consuming alcohol at least twice a week, with seven or more glasses for men and five or more glasses for women at a time.
High risk drinking among women in their 30s increased substantially, up 3.1 percentage points from the previous year to mark 12.6 percent.
