Lee Mi Seon
Department of Pediatrics, Soonchunhyang University Gumi Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Korea.
J Yeungnam Med Sci. 2024 Jul;41(3):141-149. doi: 10.12701/jyms.2024.00346. Epub 2024 Jul 5.
Pediatric obesity has rapidly increased globally over the past few decades, including in Korea. We aimed to discuss trends in the prevalence of pediatric obesity and effective prevention strategies. Its prevalence has markedly increased in most high-income nations. According to recent reports, this increase has slowed in developed countries, but the levels remain alarmingly high. In Korea, the rate of pediatric obesity has surged notably since the 1990s; however, since the 2000s, this increase has become more gradual. According to recently published 2017 growth charts, the prevalence of pediatric obesity in Korea varies slightly depending on the data source. The National School Health Examination data showed that pediatric obesity gradually increase from 11.5% in 2014 to 15.1% in 2019, and after the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, it sharply increased to 19% in 2021. Based on data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the prevalence of pediatric obesity gradually increased from 10.8% in 2017 to 13.6% in 2019. This trend, which accelerated sharply to 15.9% in 2020 and 19.3% in 2021, was especially severe in boys and older children. Pediatric obesity not only affects health during childhood but also increases the risk of developing obesity and associated health conditions in adulthood. Despite ongoing research on treatment options, obesity prevention and control remain challenging. Hence, prioritizing early intervention and prevention of pediatric obesity through healthy eating habits and lifestyles is crucial. This requires intervention at the individual, family, school, and community levels.
在过去几十年里，儿童肥胖在全球范围内迅速增加，韩国也不例外。我们旨在探讨儿童肥胖患病率的趋势以及有效的预防策略。在大多数高收入国家，其患病率显著上升。根据最近的报告，发达国家的这种增长有所放缓，但水平仍高得惊人。在韩国，自20世纪90年代以来，儿童肥胖率显著飙升；然而，自21世纪以来，这种增长变得更加平缓。根据最近公布的2017年生长图表，韩国儿童肥胖的患病率因数据来源略有不同。全国学校健康检查数据显示，儿童肥胖率从2014年的11.5%逐渐上升到2019年的15.1%，在2019冠状病毒病大流行后，2021年急剧上升到19%。根据韩国国家健康与营养检查调查的数据，儿童肥胖的患病率从2017年的10.8%逐渐上升到2019年的13.6%。这一趋势在2020年急剧加速至15.9%，2021年加速至19.3%，在男孩和大龄儿童中尤为严重。儿童肥胖不仅影响儿童时期的健康，还会增加成年后患肥胖症及相关健康问题的风险。尽管对治疗方案的研究仍在进行，但肥胖的预防和控制仍然具有挑战性。因此，通过健康的饮食习惯和生活方式优先对儿童肥胖进行早期干预和预防至关重要。这需要在个人、家庭、学校和社区层面进行干预。
