One in 5 sixth graders in Seoul City was found to be overweight or obese, data showed Tuesday.

According to Seoul Metropolitan Government, 20.4 percent of male and 19.5 percent of female students in sixth grade were either overweight or obese as of 2013. The average weight of boys was 45.5 kilograms with an average height of 150.5 centimeters. Girls recorded 43.7 kilograms with a height of 151.2 centimeters, it said.

Those with a body mass index or BMI between 25 and 30 are defined as overweight, and above 30 is considered obesity. The BMI is calculated as weight divided by height squared.

Other recent local studies have shown that youth obesity is on the rise in the country. The Education Ministry reported that the obesity rate of elementary to high school students increased to 15 percent last year, up 3.4 percent from 2006. 


Experts warned that childhood obesity can lead to adult obesity.

A local study reported that 70 percent of those who were overweight between ages 10 and 13 ended up obese as adults. About 15 percent of 6-month-old obese toddlers and 41 percent of 7-year-old overweight children were also diagnosed as obese as adults.

Childhood obesity can cause insulin resistance syndrome risks such as high blood pressure or hyperlipidemia, and even mental problems, the experts added.

“To cure child obesity, the matter should be viewed at the family level. Treatment of acknowledgement and behavior correction should be actively taken, not just depending on drugs,” Seoul National University pediatrics professor Moon Jin-soo said at a health conference last month.

“The government should pay attention to successful cases in other countries where active public measures lowered the child obesity rate,” he added.

Meanwhile, Seoul City data also showed that 84.3 percent of elementary school students in the capital participated in private education last year, a nearly 6 percent drop from 2007.

The number of private education hours spent also dropped while the cost soared.

Children spent 7.1 hours a week on average at private acadamies, about two hours less than in 2007.

The average cost of tuition, however, hiked 25 percent to 365,000 won ($338) per month.

As of last year, the total number of elementary school students in Seoul City reached 458,000, the lowest figure since the city government started keeping record in 1965, officials said.

The number steadily increased from 565,000 students in 1965 to a record high of about 1.2 million in 1982. The figure, however, began to slide due to the low birthrate, they added.

The number of newborns in the capital declined to a record low to 830,500 last year, nearly half of the figure recorded in 1992, the data showed.

Children aged between 6 and 11 accounted for 4.4 percent of the city’s total population last year, tumbling by half compared to 1994, it added.

By Lee Hyun-jeong (rene@heraldcorp.com)