||
[[B1]] About 2 in 10 Korean women within the normal weight range perceive themselves as obese, a study found, with the gap between actual weight and self-perceived body image widest among those in their 20s and 30s. As prescriptions for anti-obesity injections such as Wegovy and Mounjaro rise rapidly, concerns are growing over their indiscriminate use by people who are not overweight
[[B2]] According to the Korean Society for the Study of Obesity’s “Obesity in Numbers” report, released by its big data committee on the 17th, 18.9% of normal-weight women said they considered themselves obese. The survey drew on adults aged 20 and over who participated in the Korea National Health and <a href="https://healthylife7.com/summits-partners-with-hyphen-to-launch-autonomous-precision-nutrition/” title=”SUMMITS Partners with HYPHEN to Launch Autonomous Precision Nutrition”>Nutrition Examination Survey conducted by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency from 2022 to 2024
[[B3]] By contrast, only 4.1% of normal-weight men perceived themselves as obese. The tendency to view one’s body as heavier than it actually is was far more pronounced among women
[[B4]] Under the society’s obesity treatment guidelines, a body mass index (BMI) — weight divided by height squared — of 18.5 to 22.9 is classified as normal weight, 23 to 24.9 as pre-obesity, 25 to 29.9 as class 1 obesity, 30 to 34.9 as class 2 obesity, and 35 or higher as class 3 obesity
[[B5]] Among women in the pre-obesity range, 66.9% considered themselves obese. By age group, those aged 20 to 39 were most likely to view their bodies as obese. In this group, 15.7% of normal-weight women and 54.8% of those in the pre-obesity range thought of themselves as obese
[[B6]] Mounjaro Prescriptions Hit 1.5 Million in 10 Months
[[B7]] While a gap persists between actual weight and self-perceived body image, use of anti-obesity drugs is climbing quickly
[[B8]] According to Drug Utilization Review (DUR) data that Rep. Han Ji-a of the People Power Party, a member of the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee, obtained from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, Mounjaro was prescribed 1,501,161 times over the 10 months from August last year, following its domestic launch, through May this year
[[B9]] Monthly Mounjaro prescriptions rose about 14.7-fold, from 18,579 in August last year, its first month on the market, to 273,140 in May this year. People in their 20s and 30s accounted for 52.9% of all prescriptions, or 794,781 cases
[[B10]] Because Mounjaro and Wegovy are not covered by national health insurance, exact prescription volumes are difficult to tally. The figures reflect records checked through the DUR system, which medical institutions use to prevent duplicate prescriptions, and are used to gauge prescribing trends
[[B11]] Mounjaro and Wegovy are GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) drugs that mimic a hormone secreted in the gut to suppress appetite and regulate blood sugar. While they can be an effective treatment for obese patients, experts warn that people of normal weight who use them for weight loss should be wary of side effects
[[B12]] “These are not actually drugs with few side effects,” said Ryu Young-sang, a professor of endocrinology and metabolism at Chosun University Hospital. “When people of normal weight or older people use these injections, the side effects grow proportionally larger.”
[[B13]] “There have been reports of people being hospitalized due to nutritional imbalances after using these injections, and older people in particular often complain of muscle loss after receiving them,” the professor stressed. “They are genuinely good drugs for treating disease, but their use by people of normal weight should be avoided.”
[[B14]] The Tragedy of the “Skin-and-Bones” Trend: The Truth Behind the Weight-Loss Drug Craze
#Mounjaro#Wegovy#GLP1#WeightLoss#BodyImage#KoreaHealth
Original reporting by Lim Hye-rin for Seoul Economic Daily
AI-translated from Korean. Quotes from foreignxact original wording
View Korean originalTranslation Policy
More →
Most Read This Week
1-5
- 1Iran Mocks Trump With ‘Coward’ Memes After Secret Jet Switch
- 2Korea Sees Surge in Online Content Mocking Independence Heroes Before Liberation Day
- 3Musk Plans $10 Billion Solar Plant on Top of $16.8 Billion Chip Push
- 4SK hynix to Boost China NAND Output 50% With Dalian Plant Restart
- 5Brokerages Split on Korea Chip Stocks as SK hynix Targets Diverge by 2 Million Won
← Back to Home
