Obese Group Rate Among Daegu Elementary, Middle, and High School Students Drops from 31.4% to 29.4% Over Four Years, Down 2%

According to the "Health Checkup for Elementary, Middle, and High School Students" results released by the Ministry of Education on April 29, the health indicators of students in Daegu have shown improvement compared to 2024 and have generally remained at a stable level.

Based on the Ministry of Education's health checkup results, the proportion of students in Daegu classified as overweight or obese (combined "obese group") was 29.4% as of 2025, marking a decrease of 1.4 percentage points compared to the previous year. This rate is also lower than the national average of 29.7%. Ranking in the upper-middle range among the 17 metropolitan and provincial regions, these figures indicate that student health management in Daegu is being carried out in a stable manner.

Trend of the Obesity Rate Among Students in Daegu by Year

When assessing obesity issues, it is important to include both overweight and obesity rates, rather than looking at the obesity rate alone. The "obese group" indicator for Daegu has steadily decreased from 31.4% in 2021 to 29.4% in 2025, and the overweight rate has also dropped from 12.6% to 10.8% over the same period. The main health indicators have continued on a stable downward trend.

More specifically, the data show that health indicators tend to improve as students advance to higher grades. Notably, the obesity rate among high school students fell from 19.6% in 2024 to 17.2% in 2025, a decrease of 2.4 percentage points, which is also lower than the national average of 20.0%. This figure, which ranks in the upper-middle range among the 17 metropolitan and provincial regions, demonstrates that efforts to manage student health at schools are yielding tangible results. This trend is evaluated as the outcome of ongoing management rather than a short-term fluctuation.

The Daegu Metropolitan Office of Education has consistently implemented policies covering both dietary improvement and increased physical activity, such as reducing sugar in school meals, strengthening nutrition education, operating health fitness classes, and revitalizing school sports clubs. In particular, efforts have been ongoing to induce changes in students' lifestyle habits through joint nutrition education by schools and families, as well as by expanding participatory physical activities.

The office strictly applies nutrition management standards in accordance with the "Enforcement Rules of the School Meals Act" to provide balanced meals suitable for students' growth and development, while plans to reduce sugar intake are reflected throughout the meal service to prevent excess intake of specific nutrients.

Schools are strengthening their role in not only providing meals but also in nutrition and dietary education. Through nutrition and dietary education linked to the curriculum, practical education is being expanded on topics such as reducing sodium and sugar, making healthier food choices, food safety, and preventing food poisoning. In addition, 25 schools in the district are running pilot projects focused on experiential and activity-based dietary education to encourage behavioral change based on student participation.

Furthermore, for students requiring dietary management due to obesity, diabetes, hypertension, or food allergies, a structure is in place that provides both nutrition counseling rooms and personalized consultations, ensuring that prevention and management go hand in hand.

Starting this year, Daegu Metropolitan Office of Education is expanding the "Visiting Nutrition Experience Center—Home-Linked Initiative," a policy designed to extend school-based dietary education into the home, creating a system for parents and students to practice together. This is expected to serve as an important turning point in enhancing the formation of students' healthy eating habits.

Given the importance of dietary improvement, the office is operating a parent-targeted program under the theme "Our Children's Eating Habits: Shaped by School Meals and Families Together" to promote the development of healthy eating habits involving both schools and families. Through this program, parents are offered concrete methods and opportunities to experience how to implement healthy eating practices at home, thereby supporting students in establishing proper dietary habits.

Taehoon Kim, Deputy Superintendent of the Daegu Metropolitan Office of Education, emphasized, "Student obesity is a structural challenge that cannot be solved in a short period of time. Continuous and integrated management is necessary," adding, "We will do our utmost to promote student health through ongoing management and multifaceted policy initiatives."

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