Average Weight of 19-Year-Old Men in Korea Reaches 73.4 kg... 3 Out of 10 Are Classified as "Obese"

Analysis of 2.95 Million Born Between 1996 and 2006
Higher Blood Pressure, Cholesterol, and Triglycerides in the Obese Group
24 Health Indicators Including Weight, Blood Pressure, and Blood Sugar Registered as National Statistics

The average weight of 19-year-old males in South Korea increased by about 4 kilograms over the past decade, while the obesity rate has also risen to the point where about 3 out of every 10 men are now classified as obese. Although the average height remains at around 174 centimeters, the rapid gain in weight among young adults is raising concerns about an increased risk of metabolic diseases within this demographic.

The average weight of 19-year-old males in South Korea increased by about 4 kg over the past decade, and the obesity rate also rose to about 3 out of 10 people. Photo by Hyunmin Kim

On July 31, Yonhap News Agency reported that the Military Manpower Administration has registered the "Health Indicators for 19-Year-Old Korean Males" as official national statistics based on data from conscription physical examinations, announcing plans to disclose the health trends of young men every year. This newly released statistical dataset is built upon the data collected from physical examinations conducted on 19-year-old males for military service screening. It includes 24 indicators reflecting the health status of young men, such as body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, blood sugar, total cholesterol, triglycerides, liver function, blood tests, and mental health evaluations.

The initial statistics utilized 2.95 million records from military service screening examinations accumulated over 11 years, covering those born between 1996 and 2006. On average, this involved analyzing the physical and health data of about 268,000 individuals per year. The results showed that the average weight of 19-year-old men rose from 69.44 kilograms for those born in 1996 to 73.37 kilograms for those born in 2006, an increase of 3.93 kilograms. This represents a growth rate of approximately 5.7%.

The increase was especially pronounced among the upper group in terms of weight. Over the period, the average weight of the top 10% heavier individuals rose by 7.8 kilograms, while the bottom 10% saw only a 0.6-kilogram increase. In other words, the weight gain for the upper group was roughly 13 times that of the lower group. This suggests that, rather than weight increasing across the board among all young men, the overweight and obese segment has become substantially larger and more pronounced.

The Military Manpower Administration is an agency that conducts health examinations nationwide using the same procedures and criteria to determine the physical grade necessary for fulfilling military service obligations. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

The proportion of obese individuals with a BMI of 25 or higher jumped from 23% to 31%, an 8-percentage-point rise, representing a relative increase of about 35%. In contrast, the percentage of those with a normal body weight dropped from 49% to 41%, also a decrease of 8 percentage points. Whereas a decade ago, roughly 1 in 2 of 19-year-old males had a normal weight, this figure has now fallen to about 4 out of 10.

Meanwhile, height has not changed as markedly as weight. Analysis of the Military Manpower Administration's separately released 2024 data on height distribution in conscription examinations revealed that the average height is about 174.5 centimeters, with a median of 174.4 centimeters. Compared to the average height of approximately 172.0 centimeters in 1999, this is an increase of about 2.5 centimeters over 25 years; however, the median value only rose from 174.0 centimeters to 174.4 centimeters, an increase of just 0.4 centimeters.

The Military Manpower Administration is a government agency that conducts health examinations using the same national procedures and standards in order to determine the physical qualification levels required for mandatory military service. Unlike typical sample surveys, these exams essentially cover the vast majority of men in this age group. Moreover, the health data is based on actual measurements and test results, not self-administered surveys, making this dataset a highly valuable resource for analyzing changes in the health of young Korean men.

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