Recent Epidemiological Changes in Korean Obesity

Oh, Sang Woo

doi:2017.17.2.62

Korean J Helicobacter Up Gastrointest Res > Volume 17(2); 2017 > Article

Review

The Korean Journal of Helicobacter and Upper Gastrointestinal Research 2017;17(2):62-65.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.7704/kjhugr.2017.17.2.62 Published online June 10, 2017.

Recent Epidemiological Changes in Korean Obesity

Sang Woo Oh

¹Center for Obesity, Nutrition, and Metabolism, Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital, Dongguk University College of Medicine, Goyang, Korea. osw6021@gmail.com
²Department of Family Medicine, Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital, Dongguk University College of Medicine, Goyang, Korea.

국내 비만의 최신 역학적 변화 양상

오상우^1,2

동국대학교일산병원 비만대사영양센터¹, 가정의학과²

Correspondence: Sang Woo Oh,
Email: osw6021@gmail.com

Received: 19 April 2017 • Revised: 17 May 2017 • Accepted: 17 May 2017

Abstract

In Korea, the prevalence of obesity as defined by body mass index(BMI) ≥25 kg/m² has been steady in the recent years; however, the prevalence of severe (BMI ≥30 kg/m²) and extreme obesity (BMI ≥35 kg/m²) has rapidly increased during the past decade. The change in the prevalence of abdominal obesity showed a similar trend to the prevalence of obesity. Based on the Korean data, the list of obesity-related diseases in Korea resembles those for the Western countries. The association between BMI and all-cause mortality in Koreans displayed a ‘U’ or inverted ‘J’ curve pattern. However, these curves have changed, and the BMI nadir of these curves exhibits a change to a higher BMI point during the past decades. Recent change in the obesity epidemic in Korea seems to resemble the previous changes in the obesity epidemics seen in the Western populations.

Key Words: Comorbidity; Mortality; Obesity; Prevalence