Children’s obesity rate in South Korea more than quadrupled in the past five years, with high-risk group children in terms of mental health showing an increase in the same period, government data showed Thursday.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare made a survey of 5,753 households with children under 18 years old from September to December in 2023 as it updates child protection policies every five years.

The government conducted the survey for the first time in 2013, followed by the second one in 2018 and the latest one later last year.

Of the 5,753 responding children, 51 percent were boys and 49 percent were girls. Their life satisfaction index improved to 7.14 out of 10 last year, up from 6.6 in 2018 and 6.1 in 2013, the survey said.

But the obesity rate among children aged 9 to 17 jumped more than four times to 14 percent in 2023 from 3.4 percent in 2018. Their mental health largely improved but high-risk group children increased, it said.

The ratio of children who replied they are stressed rose to 1
.2 percent last year from 0.9 percent in 2018. That of children who thought about committing suicide jumped to 2 percent from 1.3 percent during the same period.

They picked excessive homework, exams, academic records, and conflicts of opinion with parents as main causes of their stress and suicidal thinking.

The government will set up child policies for the 2025-2029 period based on the third survey results, while making efforts to strengthen children’s rights to play and physical activities, the ministry said.

Source: Yonhap News Agency