Obesity, risky drinking on the rise among women in 20s and 30s

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Obesity rates among women in their 20s and 30s in South Korea surged significantly last year, while risky drinking behaviors also climbed among women despite a drop among men, government data showed on Tuesday.

The overall obesity rate in Korea was about 37.2 percent last year, according to a survey of approximately 10,000 people conducted by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The agency's annual health examination survey revealed men had an obesity rate of 45.6 percent in 2023, down 2.1 percentage points from the previous year. Women, however, saw their obesity rate climb 2.1 percentage points to 27.8 percent.

Obesity is determined according to body mass index, which is calculated based on height and weight. In South Korea, people with a BMI of above 25 are classified as obese.

The sharpest rise was seen among women in their 20s and 30s. Obesity among women in their 20s rose 3.9 percentage points from 18.2 percent in 2022 to 22.1 percent in 2023. Among women in their 30s, the rate jumped 5.5 percentage points, from 21.8 percent to 27.3 percent.

Whereas for men in their 20s, the rate rose by 1.1 percentage points to 43.9 percent, while men in their 30s saw a drop of 5.3 percentage points to 50.4 percent.

Last year, high-risk drinking rates -- defined as consuming seven or more drinks per session for men and five or more for women at least twice a week -- dropped slightly to 13.8 percent overall. However, the men's rate dropped from 21.3 percent to 19.9 percent, while the women's rate rose from 7 percent to 7.7 percent.

Similarly, monthly binge drinking rates, which track those who drink heavily at least once per month, also showed a gender divide. The overall rate was largely unchanged from the previous year at 37.2 percent, but it dropped among men, from 48.8 percent to 47. 9 percent, while for women, it increased from 25.9 percent to 26.3 percent.