Military agency data shows sharp rise in obesity rates for 19-year-old Korean men
Conscription records show obesity among 19-year-old Korean men climbed from 23 percent to 31 percent in 11 years, underscoring growing health risks and widening weight disparities.
Military conscription candidates undergo physical examinations to determine their fitness levels at the regional Military Manpower Administration's office in Busan on Jan. 15. Most candidates undergo the examinations at the age of 19.
NEWS1
Obesity among 19-year-old Korean men rose sharply from 23 percent to 31 percent over the past 11 years, the Military Manpower Administration said Friday.
By contrast, the share of those at a normal weight fell from 49 percent to 41 percent, showing a worsening polarization of body weight.
The health indicators of 19-year-old Korean men will be registered as national statistics and be updated annually, the military authority said.
The statistics are based on 2.95 million military conscription physical examination records collected over 11 years from men born between 1996 and 2006.
Korean men are required to undergo a physical examination to determine their eligibility for military conscription in the year that they turn 19. The data therefore covers virtually the entire male population in that age group over the past 11 years.
The average weight of 19-year-old men rose from 69.44 kilograms (153 pounds) among those born in 1996 to 73.37 kilograms among those born in 2006, an increase of 3.93 kilograms.
The increase, however, was far from even.
The average weight of the heaviest 10 percent climbed by 7.8 kilograms during the period, while that of the lightest 10 percent rose by just 0.6 kilograms.
The obesity group also recorded higher systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol and triglyceride levels than the underweight group, which likely pose a greater risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.
The Military Manpower Administration said the initiative transforms big data from military physical examinations, once used solely to determine fitness for military service, into a key resource for developing national youth health policies.
The statistics will be released annually through the Korean Statistical Information Service and the Public Data Portal. The agency also plans to make anonymized raw data available for research upon request.
The statistics include 24 indicators that provide a broad picture of young adults' health, including body mass index, blood pressure, blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, liver function, blood test results and depressive disorders.
“We will continue developing the health indicators for 19-year-old Korean men into national statistics that support efforts to improve public health and shape future health policies,” Hong So-young, commissioner of the Military Manpower Administration, said. “We will also actively open access to the underlying data to contribute to national industrial development.”
BY KO SEUNG-PYO [[email protected]]
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
