One in three students in Jeju Province is either overweight or obese, giving the island the highest student obesity rate among regions in South Korea, data shows.

Approximately 33.4 percent of students enrolled in Jeju’s elementary, middle and high schools had a body mass index over 23, the threshold for an overweight classification in South Korea, according to an analysis of student health data from 2022 led by the Education Ministry.

This was the highest rate nationwide, compared to the national average of 30.5 percent.

BMI, calculated based on height and weight, is a measure of obesity. In South Korea, a BMI of 23-24.9 is considered overweight, while 25-29.9 is classified as level-one obesity, 30-34.9 as level-two obesity, and a BMI over 35 is considered severely obese.

Of the island’s students, 19.2 percent were classified as obese, having a BMI of 25 or higher. This figure is again higher than the national average by 0.5 percentage points.

By school level, the obesity rate in Jeju was 20.7 percent in elementary schools, 17.1 percent in middle schools and 21.7 percent in high schools.

Childhood obesity is associated with increased risks of various diseases. Students diagnosed with second- or third-level obesity are at greater risk of cardiovascular and metabolic disorders. Those with severe obesity, in particular, are prone to glucose intolerance, dyslipidemia, high blood pressure and diabetes.

“The city needs to implement measures that encourage both healthy and overweight children to participate in programs designed to prevent and manage obesity,” said Boo Yun-jeong, a professor at Jeju Halla University’s School of Nursing.