More Than Half of Diabetes Patients Are Obese... Severe Abdominal Obesity Among Those in Their 30s and 40s

"Young Diabetes Patients Need Management
to Prevent Complications"

It has been found that one out of every two diabetes patients in South Korea is obese. In particular, the rate of abdominal obesity is high among patients in their 30s and 40s, highlighting the need for early intervention.

The Korean Diabetes Association released the results of its analysis of obesity prevalence among domestic diabetes patients aged 19 and older, based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2012 to 2023, in the special edition of the "Diabetes Fact Sheet 2025" on December 30. In South Korea, adult obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or higher, while abdominal obesity is defined as a waist circumference of 90 cm or more for men and 85 cm or more for women.

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The survey found that 52.4% of diabetes patients were obese. Notably, among patients in their 30s (81.3%) and 40s (76.7%), approximately 8 out of 10 were obese. The prevalence of abdominal obesity was even higher. Overall, 61.1% of diabetes patients had abdominal obesity, with higher rates among those in their 30s (70.1%) and 40s (75.8%). Over the 12-year period from 2012 to 2023, both obesity and abdominal obesity rates increased among male diabetes patients, while the increase in abdominal obesity was particularly pronounced among female patients.

It was also found that the risk of diabetes increases significantly with obesity. The prevalence of diabetes among the obese population was 17.6%, about twice as high as that among the non-obese population (9.5%). Among obese individuals aged 65 and older, one out of three (31.6%) was a diabetes patient.

The association emphasized the need for early intervention and personalized treatment for diabetes patients with abdominal obesity. An association official told Yonhap News, "Obesity increases insulin resistance, making blood sugar control more difficult," and added, "In particular, for younger diabetes patients, proactive management of obesity and abdominal obesity is essential to prevent complications."