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KDCA survey raises concerns about nation's health, with male obesity reaching record high

Published: 30 Sep. 2025, 20:05

A person measures their waist in this image unrelated to the story. [GETTY IMAGES BANK]

Almost one in two Korean men in their 30s to 50s are now obese, the highest level ever recorded, raising concerns about the nation's health, a government survey showed Tuesday.

The findings by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) also found that the prevalence of chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes also climbed in both men and women last year.

The survey examining national health and nutrition is conducted annually under the National Health Promotion Act to guide state health policy. The survey interviewed and tested about 10,000 people aged one and older from 4,800 households across 192 regions.

Hypertension prevalence increased to 26.3 percent among men and 17.7 percent among women last year, up 2.9 and 1.2 percentage points, respectively, from 2022. Diabetes rates roughly rose 1 percentage point each to 13.3 percent for men and 7.8 percent for women, while high cholesterol affected 23.4 percent of both men and women, up 3.5 and 2 percentage points, respectively.

Male obesity prevalence climbed to 48.8 percent last year, a 3.2 percentage point increase and the highest level ever recorded. Nearly half of men in their 30s (49.1 percent), 40s (61.7 percent) and 50s (48.1 percent) were obese. In contrast, female obesity prevalence dropped 1.6 points to 26.2 percent.

The survey also noted improvements in diagnosis and treatment among younger adults. Awareness of hypertension among men in their 30s rose from 24.8 percent in 2019 to 2021 to 39.5 percent in 2022 to 2024, while treatment rates doubled to 35.5 percent for the latter period. Diabetes awareness among those in their 40s rose from 53.3 percent to 66.9 percent in the same period, while treatment control rates jumped from 16.7 percent to 40.4 percent.

A senior citizen walks the streets of Jongno District, central Seoul on Oct. 2, 2024. [YONHAP]

Among seniors aged 65 and older, however, health behaviors showed worrying trends. Smoking rates among men fell only slightly over the past decade, from 20.4 percent in 2013 to 2015 to 18.6 percent in 2022 to 2024, meaning nearly one in five still smoke. Regular aerobic activity fell sharply from 46.1 percent to 37.1 percent.

The KDCA also expanded the 2024 survey to prepare for Korea’s super-aged society, adding osteoporosis and sarcopenia. Osteoporosis affected 3.8 percent of men and 31.6 percent of women, while sarcopenia prevalence was 9.4 percent overall. Seniors’ average score on the “activities of daily living” scale, measuring independent living capacity, was 85.9 points — 92.1 for men and 80.9 for women.

“Over the past decade, obesity, diabetes and high cholesterol rates have risen, but awareness, treatment and smoking rates have improved, showing some positive change amid concern,” KDCA commissioner Lim Seung-kwan said.

“Still, chronic disease prevalence remains high among men over 65, who also show little improvement in smoking and drinking habits, while nearly one in three women suffers from osteoporosis. More proactive management is needed to improve the quality of life in old age.”

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.
BY NAM SOO-HYOUN [[email protected]]