Nearly 20% of young children in Seoul are overweight or obese, survey finds

Nearly 2 in 10 children ages 3 to 5 in Seoul are overweight or obese, and heavier children tend to score lower in basic fitness testing,  a Seoul government survey found Wednesday. 

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced the results Wednesday, drawn from a survey. It jointly evaluated 6,850 children at Seoul daycare centers with the Korean Society for the Study of Obesity (KSSO). The assessment was part of a city program that brings fitness testing to daycare centers.

Alongside height and weight measurements, children took part in a V-sit, a sit-and-reach, a one-leg stand, a 5-meter (16-foot) shuttle run and a standing long jump.

On average, the children's height and weight fell within the normal range, at the 50th percentile of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's child growth charts. Average height was 99.1 centimeters (3 feet and 3 inches) at age 3, 105.57 centimeters at age 4 and 112.1 centimeters at age 5, while average weight rose from 15.8 kilograms (35 pounds) to 18.03 and then 20.38 kilograms. Over those two years, the children grew an average of 13 centimeters and gained 4.58 kilograms.

Even so, 17.9 percent of the children were overweight or obese, defined as a body mass index at or above the 85th percentile. The rate was 19.1 percent among 3-year-olds, 17.7 percent among 4-year-olds and 17.8 percent among 5-year-olds.

Fitness tended to fall as BMI rose. Among 3-year-olds, the differences by weight were small, but a decline in explosive power appeared from age 4, and among 5-year-olds a higher BMI was clearly linked to weaker balance, agility and explosive power.

The city also surveyed 1,058 guardians and 227 daycare teachers. They said only 25.7 percent of children were physically active for three or more hours a day, while 38.6 percent were active for one to two hours and 29.9 percent for two to three hours. Teachers reported that centers with physical-activity specialists or a range of play and exercise programs gave children more opportunities to try and take part in new kinds of activity.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said it would continue to monitor children's weight and fitness and expand obesity-prevention programs involving families, daycare centers and local communities.

"Preventing obesity in early childhood is not simply about managing weight but about supporting healthy lifestyle habits and enough physical activity," said Cho Young-chang, director general of the Citizens' Health Bureau.

"We will create an environment where children can grow up healthy, enjoying active play in their daily lives."

BY JEONG JAE-HONG [[email protected]]