‘Koreans = Power of Rice’ an Old Saying? ... Diet Shift to ‘Low-Carb High-Fat’ in 10 Years

Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's '2021 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey' Results
Carbohydrate Intake Decreases, Fat and Protein Increase... 1 in 5 Women Lacks Adequate Nutrition

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Park] It has been found that the energy intake of Koreans has decreased for seven consecutive years. While the proportion of carbohydrates in total calories has decreased, the ratio of fats has increased.

According to the 2021 National Health and Nutrition Survey results released by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on the 27th, the average daily energy intake of people aged 1 and older was 1859 kcal as of last year. Compared to the previous year, men consumed 58 kcal less and women 24 kcal less. Daily energy intake increased from 2001 kcal in 2012 (men 2311 kcal, women 1683 kcal) to 2103 kcal in 2015 (men 2427 kcal, women 1768 kcal), but has been steadily decreasing every year since then.

The composition of energy intake has also changed. The proportion of calories obtained from carbohydrates decreased from 64.9% in 2012 to 59.4% in 2021. In contrast, the proportion of calories from fats increased from 20.4% to 24.6% during the same period. The proportion of energy from protein slightly increased from 15.1% to 16.4% for men and from 14.4% to 15.5% for women between 2012 and 2021.

There has also been a shift toward a "low-carb, high-fat" dietary pattern. Per capita daily grain intake decreased from 299.1 g in 2012 to 265.9 g last year, while meat consumption increased from 113.9 g to 123.8 g during the same period. Vegetable and fruit intake also declined by 38.7 g and 56.3 g respectively over the past decade.

The proportion of "nutritionally deficient" individuals increased from 11.9% in 2012 to 16.6% last year. In particular, the rate among women was 19.9%, meaning that about one in five women still suffers from insufficient nutrient intake. Nutritional deficiency is defined as having an energy intake less than 75% of the estimated requirement, along with calcium, iron, vitamin A, and riboflavin intakes all below the average requirement.