Korea's child obesity rate nearly quadruples since 2018

The child obesity rate in Korea has nearly quadrupled over the past five years. Conversely, while the overall mental health of children has improved, a recent government survey revealed that the number of children classified as high-risk has also escalated, a government survey showed, Thursday.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced the findings of its 2023 comprehensive survey on children, designed to grasp the lives and developmental environments of children and serve as a crucial data source for shaping policies related to child welfare and well-being.

This survey, first conducted in 2013, is the third of its kind. The last one was conducted in 2018. It targeted 5,753 households with children under 18, including 1,000 low-income households nationwide.

The findings indicated that over 20 percent of children are now categorized as overweight or obese, showing a discernible pattern of gradual weight gain. Particularly alarming is the obesity rate among children aged 9 to 17, which has skyrocketed to 14.3 percent — nearly 3.5 times the 2018 rate.

The health ministry attributed the rise in obesity to declines in physical activity and sleep duration.

According to the survey, notable shifts in children's health-related behaviors have emerged. Specifically, the percentage of children participating in high-intensity exercise has risen to 48.1 percent, marking a significant increase from 38.2 percent seen five years ago.

However, the average time children spent sitting on weekdays rose from 524 minutes in 2018 to 636 minutes last year, while their average daily sleep duration dropped from 8.3 hours to 7.9 hours over the same period.

Moreover, there has been a general improvement in children's mental well-being. However, despite this positive trend, there has been a rise in the number of children categorized as high-risk.

The survey found that 43.2 percent of children aged 9 to 17 reported little or no stress in 2023, up 8.7 percent compared to 2018. The average levels of depression and anxiety among children decreased to 1.77 points, which is down 0.11 point from 2018.

However, the percentage of children aged 9 to 17 experiencing very high stress rose to 1.2 percent, up by almost 1 percentage point compared to 2018.

Over the past 12 months, 4.9 percent of children experienced depression severe enough to disrupt their daily lives for two weeks. Additionally, 2 percent of children contemplated suicide, up 0.7 percentage point from 2018.

Major stress factors included homework and exams at 64.3 percent, followed by grades at 34 percent, the pressure of college admission or employment at 29.9 percent and conflicts with parents at 29.7 percent.

The ministry noted that while overall satisfaction with children's lives has increased and many indicators have improved, there are concerning trends in rising obesity rates and the growth of high-risk mental health groups. It emphasized the need to enhance children's physical activities and their right to play.

In response, the ministry plans to develop its third basic plan for children's policy, which will be implemented from 2025 to 2029, using insights from the latest survey.