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Six out of 10 diet pill users in Korea not obese, report says

Published: 16 Mar. 2026, 18:46 Updated: 17 Mar. 2026, 15:04

A yellow tape measure lies on top of a glass weighing scale. [GETTY IMAGES BANK]

Thin is always in, but at what cost? A new report found that 60 percent of diet pill users were not obese, with 70 percent of users experiencing side effects, including some reporting having suicidal thoughts.

The findings come from a survey of 257 people ages 19 to 64 who had taken oral appetite suppressants between 2022 and 2025, according to a report on public perceptions of drug misuse and related policy issues released by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs.

An office worker named Jeong was prescribed an oral appetite suppressant at a hospital last year. Jeong was neither obese nor overweight — they just had a weight loss goal. After taking the medication for a month, Jeong stopped because of severe side effects such as headaches and dizziness.

“I had tried weight loss injections before, but they were inconvenient, so I decided to try oral appetite suppressants,” Jeong stated. “I didn’t expect the side effects to be this severe.”

A total of 59.5 percent responded that they took oral appetite suppressants to lose weight despite not being diagnosed with obesity, according to the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs.

The share was higher than that of those who reported they took the medication for medical reasons. A total of 34.6 percent reported they took the drugs after being diagnosed with obesity by a doctor, while 8.6 percent answered they used them to treat conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes.

Some respondents also reported nonmedical reasons for taking the drugs. 8.9 percent answered they took the medication because it was recommended by others, while 3.9 percent said they took it out of curiosity.

A person holds pills in one hand. [ASAN MEDICAL CENTER]

The trend was also reflected in respondents’ body mass index, or BMI, when they first began taking the medication. A total of 54.1 percent started taking the drugs despite having a BMI below 25, meaning they were not obese. Only 12.5 percent were classified as obese with a BMI of 30 or higher.

This runs counter to clinical guidelines from the Korean Society for the Study of Obesity, which recommend short-term use of oral appetite suppressants for patients with a BMI of 27 or higher.

In Korea, the threshold for obesity is lower than Western standards, with a BMI of 23 being overweight and a BMI of 25 being Class I obesity. A BMI of 30 constitutes Class II obesity, and Class III obesity is any BMI of 35 and above.

Women made up 82.5 percent of respondents. Among them, those in their 30s accounted for 32.7 percent and those in their 40s accounted for 35.0 percent.

Weight-related stress was the most common reason for taking the drugs. A total of 91.9 percent reported stress related to body weight influenced their decision to take appetite suppressants, while 74.7 percent agreed that society prefers people with thin bodies.

Respondents also pointed to social pressure to go on a diet. Many stated there is a perception that all women should be on a diet, while expectations that men should diet have also increased in recent years.

A woman is frowning and clenching her head. [GETTY IMAGE BANK]

A total of 73.5 percent answered that they experienced side effects after taking oral appetite suppressants.

Reported symptoms included dry mouth at 72.0 percent, heart palpitations at 68.8 percent, insomnia at 66.7 percent, depression at 25.4 percent, personality changes at 23.8 percent and anxiety at 22.8 percent. Some respondents, about 1.6 percent, confessed they experienced suicidal ideation.

Social pressure to diet, expanding mass media and growing competition among medical institutions are contributing to medication misuse, the report said.

Appetite suppressants work by altering hunger signals in the brain or hormones related to appetite. Experts warn that the indiscriminate consumption of diet pills can cause serious side effects like increased heart rate, high blood pressure and psychological changes, as well as make it easier to regain weight.

“Some appetite suppressants can cause muscle loss, creating conditions that make weight regain more likely and increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease,” Oh Sang-woo, a professor of family medicine at Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital, warned. “Mixing medications that influence neurotransmitters as appetite suppressants can amplify side effects.”

Researchers warned that authorities should develop strategies to prevent misuse of specific drug ingredients and that healthcare professionals, including doctors and pharmacists, should connect patients at risk of misuse with counseling and treatment.

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 KIM NAM-YOUNG [[email protected]]