By Lee Hyo-sik
Staff Reporter

South Korea used to be known as a nation of slim people thanks to its diet of fruits and vegetables.

But the reputation has become a thing of the past as a growing number of Koreans are becoming obese due to the widespread popularity of high-calorie and high-fat Western foods, as well as a lack of exercise.

According to a joint study by the research teams of Chungnam National University's medical school and National Health Insurance Corp., the average Korean man weighed 68.6 kilograms in 2007, up from 66 kilograms in 1997, while the average female's weight increased to 56.5 kilograms from 54.9 kilograms over the same period. The study examined the weight of 5,420 adults across the country who all received a health check by the research teams once every two years.

The body mass index (BMI), calculated by dividing weight by the square of height, reached 23.9 for the average Korean man in 2007, up from 22.9 a decade ago. The BMI for the average woman jumped to 23 from 22.3. The higher the BMI gets, the greater the level of obesity.

The research team said that when a man or woman's BMI is below 18.5, they are underweight in accordance with international standards for Asians. If the weight to height ratio ranges from 18.5 to 22.9, people are said to be of normal weight.

But if the index is between 25 and 29.9, both men and women are considered to be overweight. Cases of BMI being over 30 are classified as highly obese. Accordingly, the average Korean has moved from being of normal weight to being overweight in 10 years.

Korean men who were underweight or of normal weight accounted for 2.1 percent and 35 percent of the total sample in 2007, respectively, down from 2.9 percent and 49.2 percent 10 years ago. But overweight and obese men accounted for 29.5 percent and 33.4 percent, up from 26.3 percent and 21.6 percent over the same period.

Additionally, more Korean women belonged to the overweight and obese categories in 2007.

The Chungnam National University researchers said people here have become more obese, following the trend of their counterparts in the United States and other advanced economies. ``Many people these days work in offices with limited physical movement. Many say that they do not have time to exercise or prepare healthy foods due to the hustle and bustle of daily life. On many occasions, they eat high-calorie processed foods and drink alcohol, putting on more weight as they grow older.''

He stressed the importance of obesity awareness campaigns, saying the government should launch nationwide publicity to alert people about the danger of becoming overweight, as well as to promote healthy diet and exercise.

leehs@koreatimes.co.kr