The number of obese people in South Korea more than doubled between 2017 and 2021, a trend exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, data showed. 

According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of overweight patients increased from 14,966 in 2017 to 31,170 last year.

The number of obese men increased by 3.4-fold to 9,676 and that of female patients grew by 1.7 times to 20,494.

By age, those in their 30s had the largest proportion at 22.1 percent, followed by those in their 40s with 21.6 percent and 50s with 13.2 percent. (Yonhap)