• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.1-11
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• 2006

Objectives: The 2003 WHO/FAO technical report described that Korea has largely maintained its traditional high-vegetable diet despite major social and economic changes, and had lower than expected levels of obesity prevalence than other industrialized countries. However, the prevalence of obesity in Korea has recently been rapidly increasing. The aim of this study was to elucidate the determinants of this rapid growth of obesity prevalence in Korea and to compare the results of national nutrition surveys between Korea and Japan. Methods: The trends of the National Health and Nutrition Survey in Korea instituted every 3 years and that in Japan conducted every year were compared. The results of obesity prevalence defined as more than 25 of the Body Mass Index, the percentage of habitual exercisers and the results of the nutritional surveys were examined from 1992 to 2005 in Korea and from 1992 to 2004 in Japan. Results: The prevalence of obesity in males has been gradually increasing in both Korea and Japan since 1992. Though until 1995 the prevalence of obesity in the Korean male population was less than that in Japan, after 1998 Korea surpassed Japan and a markedly increasing trend was observed. In females, the increasing trend of obesity was slower than males in both Korea and Japan. However, the prevalence of obesity was much higher in Korea compared with that in Japan. The percentage of exercisers was much lower in Korea than in Japan. Although, the definition of an exerciser varies with the survey year in Korea and is different from that in Japan, almost 70% of the population was not regularly engaging in moderate or hard intensity exercise in Korea. From 1995, the total energy intake was increased by 9.8% in Korea but it was decreased by 6.9% in Japan. Presently, the energy intake per capita per day in Korea exceeded that in Japan. Remarkable increases in the intake of meat and poultry, vegetable oils and fats, and milk and dairy products were observed in Korea from 1995 to 2005. On the other hand, these values decreased during the same period in Japan. Conclusion: The prevalence of obesity in Korea is increasing and has surpassed that of Japan. The current trends could be attributed to the low prevalence of habitual exercisers, and an increase in energy intake and the proportion of energy intake from fat.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.64 no.10
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• pp.511-518
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• 2021

The prevalence of childhood obesity is increasing worldwide at an alarming rate. While obesity is known to increase a variety of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, it also acts as a risk factor for the development and progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD). During childhood and adolescence, severe obesity is associated with an increased prevalence and incidence of the early stages of kidney disease. Importantly, children born to obese mothers are also at increased risk of developing obesity and CKD later in life. The potential mechanisms underlying the association between obesity and CKD include hemodynamic factors, metabolic effects, and lipid nephrotoxicity. Weight reduction via increased physical activity, caloric restriction, treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and judicious bariatric surgery can be used to control obesity and obesity-related kidney disease. Preventive strategies to halt the obesity epidemic in the healthcare community are needed to reduce the widespread deleterious consequences of obesity including CKD development and progression.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.30 no.7
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• pp.832-839
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• 1997

The purpose of this study is to survey the prevalence of obesity assessed on the basis of height and weight among students in primary and secondary schools in the metropolitan area of Seoul, Korea during the period of 1979 to 1996. The major findings are as follows ; 1) The fiftieth percentile values of BMI have increased more in mid-ranged age group than upper(16-17 years old) and lower(6-7 years old) ranged age groups. 2) The prevalence of obesity by standard weight of height was higher among male students than female students and students in the primary schools showed higher weight increase than adolescent age(12-17 years old) group. As a whole, the prevalence of obesity over last 18 years has increased 4.6 times in males and 3.2 times in females. 3) Judged on the basis of the BMI 90th, 95th percentile values of 1979 , the prevalence of obesity among male students showed higher increases than among female students. Higher increase was also observed among primary school students than among middle and high school students. Increase of weight was higher for the $\geq$95th percentile group than the 90-95th percentile group. 4) Judged on the basis of the BMI, 90th, 95 th percentile values of NHANES-I, the $\geq$95th percentile group showed higher increase in the prevalence of obesity than the 90-95th percentile group. According to the 1996 data, severe obesity group ($\geq$95th percentile) was about two times of NHANES-I in male primary school students, while the number for female middle and high school students was about 1/5 of NHANES-I.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.45-55
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• 2020

Objectives: This study was conducted to explore recent trends in the prevalence of pediatric elevated blood pressure and hypertension (HTN) in Korea and the United States, applying the new HTN reference values for adolescents. Methods: This study analyzed 17 339 (8755 Korean and 8584 American) adolescents aged 10 to 17 who participated in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, respectively, between 2005 and 2016. HTN was defined using percentile-based reference values for non-overweight adolescents from 7 nations, and obesity was defined by body mass index (BMI) based on country-specific growth charts. All analyses were stratified by sex and year-over-year changes were evaluated by calculating the p for trend. Results: Systolic blood pressure showed a statistically meaningful upward trend in Korean boys and girls, while diastolic blood pressure did not show any significant changes. Both systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels declined among United States boys and girls. The prevalence of elevated blood pressure and HTN remained similar in Korean adolescents, but declined in both sexes among United States adolescents. BMI increased in both sexes among Korean adolescents, although the overweight and obesity rates stayed the same. No significant trends were found in any obesity indices among United States adolescents. The prevalence of elevated blood pressure and HTN by obesity level was higher among Korean adolescents than among their United States peers in both sexes, and the gap became higher at more severe levels of obesity. Conclusions: Despite the strong correlation between obesity and HTN, recent trends in the prevalence of HTN and obesity among Korean and United States adolescents were strikingly different. Follow-up studies are necessary to determine why the prevalence of HTN was more than twice as high among Korean adolescents than among their United States counterparts.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.71-78
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• 2017

Child obesity has become a significant health issue in Korea. Prevalence of obesity in school-age children in Korea has been alarmingly rising since 2008. Prevalence of obesity among infants and preschool-age children in Korea has doubled since 2008. Obese children may develop serious health complications. Before nutritional counseling is pursued, several points should be initially considered. The points are modifiable risk factors, assessment for child obesity, and principles of treatment. Motivational interviewing and a multidisciplinary team approach are key principles to consider in managing child obesity effectively in the short-term as well as long-term. Nutritional counseling begins with maintaining a daily log of food and drink intake, which could possibly be causing obesity in a child. Several effective tools for nutritional counseling in practice are the Traffic Light Diet plan, MyPlate, Food Balance Wheel, and 'Food Exchange Table'. Detailed nutritional counseling supported by a qualified dietitian is an art of medicine enabling insulin therapy and hypoglycemic agents to effectively manage diabetes mellitus in obese children.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.44-49
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• 2006

The aim of this study was to evaluate the body composition difference and obesity prevalence in grade 5 to 8 by gender. A total of 1,333 students, 707 boys and 631 girls, were recruited from one elementary and one middle school in Seoul, Korea. Anthropometric measurements including height, weight, lean body mass, and body fat were assessed. Height and weight were increased by grade, but Body Mass Index (BMI) by grade showed no significant difference among boys. Lean body mass had growth spurt between 7 and 8 grade among boys compared to gradual increase among girls. Overweight and obesity prevalence were higher among elementary schoolers than middle schoolers. Overweight (BMI for age> $85^{th}$ percentile) prevalence was about $44\%$ among $5^{th}$ grade boys compared $29\%$ among same grade girls. These results provided that there were prominent difference regarding body growth and obesity prevalence in gender and grade. Further studies for children and adolescents should be considered their body composition change.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.225-235
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• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome (MS) and factors associated with it among elders in a rural community. Methods: Data were collected from 683 subjects with a questionnaire, physical measurement, and blood test. The prevalence of the MS was determined by AHA/NHLBI and waist circumference cutoff points for Koreans. Results: The prevalence of the MS was 50.5% in total (41.6% in men, 56.3% in women) while the prevalence of 5 metabolic risk factors was 67.7% for elevated blood pressure, 51.0% for low HDL-cholesterol, and 50.2% for abdominal obesity. Risk factors associated with the prevalence of the MS included family history, BMI, and physical activity; significant factors associated with that of metabolic components included family history, BMI, smoking, drinking, and physical activity. Especially, a higher BMI was a strong risk factor of the prevalence of abdominal obesity as well as the MS and its components. Conclusion: The findings indicate that nurses should care for elders based on each metabolic component regarding its prevalence level and concentrate primarily on reducing elevated blood pressure, low HDL-cholesterol by controlling the main risk factor, abdominal obesity through lifestyle modification.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.97-107
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• 2001

The clustering of insulin resistance with hypertension, glucose intolerance, hyperinsulinemia, increased triglyceride and decreased HDL cholesterol levels, and central and overall obesity has been called syndrome X, or the insulin resistance syndrome(IRS). To develop a nutrition service for IRS, this study was performed to evaluate the prevalence of each component of the metabolic abnormalities of IRS and analyze the clustering pattern of IRS among subjects living in the Taegu community. Participants in this study were 9234(mean age ; M/F 48/40yrs);63.5% were men, 24.4% were obese, 13.3% had hypertension. 3.7% had hyperglycemia, and 32.4% had hyperlipidemia. The IRS was defined as the coexistence of two or more components among metabolic abnormalities; obesity, hypertension. hyperglucemia and hyperlipidemia. The prevalence of IRS in Taegu was 19.2%(M/F:20.8%/16.4%), the clustering of these fisk variables was higher in advanced age group. Among the subjects of IRS having two of more diseases, 75.6% were obese, the pattern were similar in men and women. The younger, the higher the prevalence of obesity associated clustering patterns. The prevalence of obesity associated patterns among the hyperglycemia associated clustering patterns was 44.5%. The samples of the representative clustering patterns were obesity and hyperlipidemia (8.0%), hypertension and hyperlipidemia(3.2%), hypertension, obesity and hyperlipiemia(3.1%), hypertension and obesity(2.3%), and hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia(0.8%). The clustering of obesity and hyperlipidemia until 50 year old groups, and the clustering of hypertension and hyperlipidemia in the 60 and 70 age groups were the most prevalent. We concluded that insulin resistance syndrome was a relatively common disorder in the Taegu community, and prevalence and the characteristics of the intervention strategies for IRS are desired, an effective improvement will be achieved.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.157-165
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• 1999

This study was conducted to identify the determinants of regional body fat distribution of obesity(upper body obesity and lower body obesity) for adolescents. The macronutrient consumption pattern utilized the most important variables to test for potential determinants. A total of 726 adolescents living in rural areas in Korea had been observed for four years from 1992 to 1996 about their diet, sexual maturation, serum components and physical growth. The study design was similar to that of a case control study. Logistic regression analysis were used as an analytical method to identify the determinants of upper body obesity and lower body obesity. Odd ratios were estimated from the regression to identify the determinants of upper body obesity and lower body obesity. Odd ratios were estimated from the regression to identify the risk factors. Fat consumption pattern was the most frequent one among the three macronutrient consumption pattern of carbohydrate, fat and protein. Prevalence of obesity for the subjects was 9.5%. Prevalence of upper body obesity was higher in malestudents than in female students. On the other had, prevalence of lower body obesity was higher in females. The results of the logicstic regression analysis showed that the risk factor for upper body obesity was sexual maturity rather than dietary factors. None of the factors included in the analysis for lower body obesity appear to be the risk factor. The result may suggest that to develop a determinant model for obesity of adolescents, the model should include a wider range of variables other than diet, sexual maturity and changes in blood serum.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.12 no.9
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• pp.351-360
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• 2021

The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of young adults obesity, morbid obesity and severe obesity and to identify associated factors. Data for 50,095 participants aged 20-39 from Community Health Survey 2019. Chi-square test and multiple logistic regression were used for the analysis. Prevalence for young adults obesity, morbid obesity and severe obesity were 23.60%, 5.86% and 1.31%. Aged of 20's, male, low income, low educational level and marital status were found to be associated with all stages of obesity. Current smoking, high risk drinking, physical activity, health promotion practices, subjective health, EQ-5D, stress, depressive symptoms and comorbidities increased the prevalence of obesity in young adults. Health check-up, subjective health, EQ-5D, stress, depressive symptoms and comorbidities increased the prevalence of severe obesity in young adults. Based on the results, it is necessary to develop and provide focused intervention consisting of characteristics of young adults and stages of obesity.