One in 3 South Korean elderly people suffered from obesity last year, according to the latest report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The researchers discovered that 25.7 percent of Korean males aged 65 or older were obese, while 40.1 percent of their female counterparts were.
Earlier this month, the state-run agency announced that Korean women in their 60s are most prone to develop obesity, while Korean men become obsess the most commonly during their 30s.
While only 14.4 percent of Korean women in their 20s were obese last year, some 40 percent of women in their 60s and 70s were obese.
The agency’s latest report also found that the number of obese elderly women has been increasing since the late 1990s, from 33.3 percent in 1998 to 40.1 percent in 2012.
The number of obese elderly women who live in the country’s remote rural regions, in particular, rose dramatically from 25.4 percent in 1998 to 40.3 percent in 2012.
Elderly women’s perception of body weight ― which is different from those of younger generations ― unemployment, physical inactivity, and a lack of hobbies contribute to their obesity, the report said.
Researcher Kim Yoon-ah, one of the authors of the report, pointed about that only 61.3 percent of elderly Koreans who are obese acknowledge their condition.
“More than 80 percent of those who are aged 19 or older and are obese are aware of their weight problem,” she said.
“This shows that the obese elderly population in Korea don’t have the enough resources to learn about the condition, as well as why it is important to maintain a healthy body weight.”
Kim also stressed that the elderly population will double by 2030. Major benefits of maintaining a healthy weight include decreased risk of diabetes, which is one of the most common chronic diseases among the elderly, and higher energy levels.
“Weight management is one of the most crucial things that must be taken care of for the healthy lifestyle of the nation’s growing elderly population,” she said.
By Claire Lee (
dyc@heraldcorp.com)
