"Severely Underweight More Common Among 'Unmarried and Divorced' Men and Women... What Is the Cause?"

KCDC "As of 2020, 2.5% of Men and 7.5% of Women Are Underweight"
Underweight Individuals Show Increased Smoking and Drinking, but Less Aerobic Physical Activity

Office workers are taking a walk near Pangyo Venture Valley in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. The photo is not directly related to the content of the article. / Seongnam = Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Nayeon] It has been found that 'underweight' patients are more common among those who are unmarried or married without a spouse.

According to the summary statistics of the National Health Survey published by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on the topic of 'Prevalence of Underweight Among Domestic Adults' on the 2nd, the prevalence of underweight among adults aged 19 and older in 2020 was 2.5% for men and 7.5% for women.

By gender and age group, women in their 20s (14.6%) and 30s (10.0%) showed a higher prevalence of underweight. This is analyzed as a result stemming from a broader societal issue where women particularly pursue a thin body.

The prevalence of underweight among men was highest in their 20s (4.6%) and those aged 70 and above (4.6%). Since 2009, the prevalence of underweight among men has been on a declining trend, while there has been little change among women.

Underweight individuals tended to smoke and drink more and engage in less aerobic physical activity compared to those with normal weight. They also experienced more stress and tended to skip breakfast.

The smoking rate among underweight men was 41.5%, which is 6.6 percentage points higher than that of normal-weight men (34.9%). The aerobic physical activity rate among underweight women was 41.1%, 4.2 percentage points lower than that of normal-weight women (45.3%).

Considering these indicators comprehensively, it can be inferred that irregular meals and other factors may be partially related to the higher prevalence of underweight among unmarried individuals or married individuals without a spouse.

The KDCA pointed out that being underweight increases the risk of osteoporosis, fractures, and death compared to normal weight, and can particularly affect women's pregnancy and childbirth.

The KDCA stated, "Although overweight and obesity are major issues among domestic adults, high attention is also needed for underweight," adding, "It is necessary to provide counseling and health promotion services for underweight individuals to improve distorted perceptions about weight that equate thinness with health, as well as to regulate media and advertising."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.