One in seven Seoul students classified as overweight

SEOUL, March 5 (Yonhap) -- One out of seven students in Seoul are overweight,
with junk food and lack of exercise cited as the biggest reasons, the city's
educational board said Thursday.

A report issued by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education showed 13.7 percent
of students in elementary, middle and high schools are overweight and suggested
these students receive special dietary treatment.
The report also said that the obesity rate among high school students amounted to
15.4 percent, compared with 12.9 percent for primary school students and 12.8
percent for middle school students.
Obesity is determined by measuring a student's weight against an average weight
that is calculated using their height. Those who exceed the average by 20 percent
or more are considered obese. Students who are 20-30 percent above average are
classified as light obese, while those who are 30-50 percent above average are
ranked as having mid-range obesity. Students above 50 percent are deemed to be
severely overweight.
The number of teenagers above the 50 percent mark increased by almost half to 1.2
percent in 2007 from 0.85 percent in 2001.
Experts have indicated that worsening dietary habits, including increased
consumption of junk food and carbonated drinks, and a decline in outdoor
activities as students spend longer hours in front of the computer, are major
reasons for the trend. Effective measures to curb the rate are needed, they say,
as overweight teens are likely to suffer obesity-related diseases later in life.
Seoul introduced control measures last year over the sale of unhealthy snacks,
including soda, instant noodles and other fried foods, at snack bars or through
vending machines at schools.
The Education Ministry has also stepped up efforts to counter the rise in teenage
obesity. Starting this year, school cafeterias will be required to provide
details on nutrition information for all snacks and drinks sold, including
protein, vitamin, fat and carbohydrate levels.
The office said it will also begin classes on health and the prevention of
obesity, as well as provide advice to overweight students on exercise, health
care and diet.
brk@yna.co.kr
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