Korean Girls Start Dieting Dangerously Early

Korean boys are almost twice as likely to be obese as girls, according to a new OECD report.

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The annual Health at a Glance report finds that 26.4 percent of Korean boys aged five to 17 were either overweight or obese as of 2013 but only 14.1 percent of girls.

The OECD average for childhood obesity is 24.3 percent for boys and 22.1 percent for girls.

Experts said the disparity stems from an intense fixation on beauty and physical appearance that starts early in life and prompts even young girls to start dieting.

"Young girls who need plenty of nutrition for bone growth could end up ruining their health permanently with extreme dieting", warns Dr. Oh Sang-woo at Dongguk Universit's Ilsan Hospital.

The report shows Poland as the only country where the disparity in obesity rates among boys and girls is larger than in Korea.

But there is hardly any difference in France, Germany and New Zealand, while girls are likelier than boys to be fat in Australia, the U.S. and U.K.

In terms of obesity rate among girls, Korea ranked the fourth lowest. Experts say the influence of the media, which glorifies skinny figures, pressures young girls to emulate models at any cost.

An online study of teen health last year by the Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed 45.1 percent of teenage girls and 23.1 percent of boys attempting diets. Some 18.8 percent of girls bought over-the-counter weight-loss medication and laxatives, and even forced themselves to vomit after meals to lose weight.

And a 2010 study by the Korea Food and Drug Administration of 5,000 teens showed 15 percent of girls and 10 percent of boys experienced eating disorders. More recently, girls have been trying to emulate the diets of girl band members, resulting in the consumption of a dangerously low amount of calories per day.

"Excessive dieting prompts the body to recover the lost energy from muscles, which can paradoxically lead to chronic obesity during adulthood as well as osteoporosis, anemia and irregular periods for women", Oh said.

Obsessive dieting can also lead to bulimia, anorexia and depression. Experts say schools should step up educating teens on proper diet.