SEOUL, KOREA - A study said the lower the individual's income it is more likely to be obese. The National Health Insurance Corp. said on November 9 based on its analysis on health check-up big data that the ratio of those excessively obese whose body mass index is over and above 35(㎏/㎡) has increased to 0.49 percent last year from 0.17 percent in 2002.

Obesity defines excessive obesity as a status where one’s body mass index ― a person’s weight (in kilograms) divided by the square of his or her height in meters ― exceeds 35.

By income level, the share of the excessive obese under a welfare program was 1.23 percent (0.87% for men and 1.57% for women). In contrast, the same ratio for those who belong to top 5 percentile in income level who pay the highest amount of health insurance premium was 0.35 percent. Even excluding those under government assistance program, a comparison between the lower and upper 5 percentile showed that the difference was 0.4 percentage point (0.75% vs. 0.35%). The difference is also higher than that in 2002 when it was 0.12 percentage point (0.25% vs. 0.13%).

 

Oh Sang-woo, professor of the Department of Family Medicine, Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital, said, "The main reason there are more excessively obese people among low-income families has to do with the fact that they tend to eat fast food and other nutritionally poor food instead of fresh vegetable and fruit while negligent on exercise. As they get more obese, they tend not to go out and do gainful activity. In order to cut the vicious cycle of poverty and obesity, the government needs to actively encourage low-income families to be mindful of their health and fitness."

 

Article provided by The Korea Economic Daily