Arya News - South Korea`s women are four times more likely to be underweight than men – raising concerns over the popularity of weight-loss medications in the country, including calls for stricter regulation from local authorities.
SEOUL – Ive’s Jang Won-young is one of the hottest K-pop icons today. Standing 173 cm tall and weighing only 48kg, Jang’s tall, slim figure is the subject of admiration and envy for many across the country.
But Jang’s apparent body mass index of 16 kg per square meter indicates that, at least from the perspective of her physique, she could be subject to multiple health risks related to low weight — an issue faced by many women across the country.
Some 6.2 percent of South Korean women in 2025 were found to be underweight, defined by a BMI of 18.5 or under, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency data released Wednesday by Rep. Heo Jong-sik of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea. The figure was nearly four times the 1.6 percent recorded for men, and far exceeds the national rate of 4.2 percent.
The underweight rate for women was higher than men in all regions, peaking at 8.2 percent in Seoul. In contrast, obesity rates were higher for men than women across the country — with the top figure being 49 percent for Jeju Island.
Overall, the average obesity rate for men was 41.5 percent, and 24.2 percent for women. South Korea defines obesity as a BMI of 25 or above, which is lower than the international standard of 30 or above.
“Preventing and managing obesity is important, but we also have to check whether society expecting women to be skinny isn’t leading to weight loss that is detrimental to one’s health,” Heo said.
He voiced concern over the recent popularity of weight-loss medications in Korea, urging the authorities to step up regulations and ensure that those who fall within a normal or underweight BMI range are prohibited from using them.
Misperception of being fat
Research indicates that a significant proportion of women in Korea whose weight is considered normal or underweight think themselves to be obese.
The August report by the Korean Society for the Study of Obesity indicated that 18.9 percent of women with a “normal” BMI falling between 18.5 and 24.9 perceive themselves as being obese. This was far greater than the 4.1 percent among men with normal weight.
Even 0.6 percent of underweight women thought themselves to be obese, in the analysis of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s annual nationwide survey between 2022 and 2024.
In 2024, a KDCA analysis of the physical well-being of Koreans between 2013 and 2021 showed that 15.1 percent of women aged 19-29 were underweight. Of those, 16.2 percent said they had attempted to lose weight.
Some 53.9 percent of women with a normal BMI attempted to lose weight.
“A social and cultural atmosphere of preferring skinny bodies and inducing reckless weight loss is leading to young women’s excessive awareness of their bodies,” the report noted, warning that unnecessary dieting can lead to severe health repercussions.
Korea is not considered a particularly overweight country, as its obesity rate is the second-lowest in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, after Japan.
Korea’s definition of obesity is equivalent to overweight in most other countries, and the ratio of overweight (OECD standards) Koreans is actually lower than the obese Americans in the US, according to the OECD’s most recent data.
Contrary to the misperception of some women, the female obesity issue is not nearly as serious as that of their male counterparts. The KDCA data shows that the male obesity rate has surged by nearly 10 percent from 2015 to 2024. The figure for women remained virtually unchanged in the same period — rising by just 0.3 percent.
Being skinny could pose health risks
weight refers to a range generally considered healthy for the body, while being classified as underweight means the body may lack required nutrition. Research has indicated that being underweight could have negative health effects on one’s immune system, increase the risk of osteoporosis and anemia, and cause growth delays in children.
A 2022 nationwide cohort study by Korean doctors showed that severely underweight Koreans with a BMI of under 16.5 had a 28 percent increased fracture risk compared to those of normal weight.
Even those considered moderately (BMI of 16.5 to 17.4) or mildly (BMI of 17.5 to 18.4) underweight showed a 14 percent and 9 percent increase in fracture risk, respectively. The study “Severity of underweight and risk of fracture: a Korean nationwide population-based cohort study” was published in Scientific Reports.