"Just Two Tanghulu Exceed Adult Daily Sugar Intake"…Warning of Obesity Risk in Adolescents

Obesity Significantly Increased Due to Reduced Physical Activity During COVID-19

The number of obese children and adolescents, which increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, remains at a high level.

According to the "Status of Medical Treatment for Childhood and Adolescent Obesity and Chronic Diseases" submitted by the National Health Insurance Service to Shin Hyun-young, a member of the Health and Welfare Committee of the National Assembly from the Democratic Party of Korea, on the 3rd, the number of obese patients in lower elementary school grades (ages 7-9) last year increased by 1.73 times compared to 2018, upper elementary school grades (ages 10-12) by 2.37 times, and high school students (ages 16-18) by 2.25 times.

The group with the largest increase in obese patients was middle school students (ages 13-15), rising to 951 patients, which is 3.13 times higher than in 2018 (304 patients). The number of obese middle school students surged to 1,304 in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although it decreased by about 27% to 951 last year, it still remains at a high level compared to four years ago.

The number of upper elementary school students receiving treatment for type 2 diabetes increased from 473 in 2018 to 757 last year, a 1.6-fold increase, and middle school students increased from 1,143 to 1,932, a 1.7-fold increase.

Tanghulu, which has recently become popular among teenagers and young people [Image source=Yonhap News]

During the same period, patients with dyslipidemia, which causes abnormal cholesterol levels, increased from 719 to 1,285 (1.8 times) among lower elementary school students and from 2,967 to 5,558 (1.9 times) among middle school students.

Rep. Shin said, "During the COVID-19 period, the number of children and adolescent patients receiving treatment for chronic diseases rapidly increased due to decreased physical activity," adding, "Childhood and adolescent obesity does not simply end with obesity but can lead to chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension."

She further pointed out, "Recently, sugary snacks like 'Tanghulu' have become popular among adolescents and are cited as causes of obesity and diabetes, so special attention to health management is required."

Tanghulu is a traditional Chinese dessert coated with sugar syrup, containing 10 to 25 grams of sugar per piece. Eating just two skewers meets the recommended daily sugar intake of 50 grams for adults. Its calorie content is about 70 to 100 kcal per 100 grams.

Recently, sales of so-called sugar-free Tanghulu with alternative sweeteners have increased, but experts warn that excessive consumption, even with alternative sweeteners, can cause obesity and negatively affect health just like sugar.