Obesity in South Korea: Women are twice as common as men... Differences in age, income level and region

In South Korea, it has been pointed out that "given the disparities in the prevalence of obesity based on gender, age, income level, region, etc., it is necessary for the government to create a systematic response system."
According to documents obtained by Park Hee-sook, a member of the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee, from the National Health Insurance Service, 21,000 people received medical treatment for obesity last year.
The number of obese people was 441, a 1.5-fold increase from 2014 (14,702). The number of obese people decreased somewhat after peaking during the COVID-19 pandemic, but rose again in the first half of this year.
The number of obesity cases increased. In the first half of this year, there were 3,489 men and 8,593 women, with more than twice as many women as men. There were also differences in the prevalence of obesity based on income level.
The prevalence of obesity in the bottom 20% in 2022 was 40.3%, 7.5% higher than the 32.8% in the top 20%.
By region, Jeju Island had the highest number of cases at 36.1%, followed by Gangwon Province at 35.
0%, Chungcheongbuk-do (North Chungcheong Province) at 34.5%, Incheon city at 34.5%, and Chungcheongnam-do (South Chungcheong Province) at 34.4%, etc.
Rep. Park said, "The prevalence of obesity varies greatly depending on gender, age, income level, and region, but each ministry and agency has different standards and response systems.
"We need to let people know that obesity is a serious disease that directly affects the health of the nation, and we need to create a national system to prevent and manage obesity," he said.