Koreans in 20s eat least

South Korean 20-somethings were found to eat the least among all age groups in 2012, Statistics Korea said on Sunday.

A survey of meal consumption by age group in 2012 found that those aged between 25 and 29 skipped 3.8 meals per month on average, followed by those aged 20 to 24 skipping 3.7 meals.

Considering gender, females in their late 20s skipped the most meals, at 4.5 meals per month on average, the governmental agency said.

“Meal consumption correlates with income level,” Kim Mi-sook from The Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs said, urging the government to pay more attention to undernourished 20-somethings in its welfare policies.

“Many 20-somethings are unemployed and so they cannot earn enough money to cover their monthly expenditures. They tend to cut costs for meals, while funding other necessities, including housing, clothing, transportation and communication.”

Meanwhile, the nation’s youth unemployment is worsening. According to Statistics Korea, the number of employed 20-somethings fell to 85,000 in December 2012, the eighth consecutive monthly drop.

On the other hand, children aged below 10 were most nourished thanks to care from parents. Those in their early 40s, who have relatively stable finances, followed, with 1.8 meals skipped per month.

By Seo Jee-yeon (jyseo@heraldcorp.com)