Korean Job Discussion Forums

duhweecher · Joined: 06 Nov 2013

The country seems to be preoccupied with children and obesity, when there are plenty of supposedly health-conscious (because they're always preoccupied with telling you what you should or shouldn't eat) but overweight ajummas out there. And oh my god, how annoying they are! Let's try to stop empowering these women with this kind of news! argh....

http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2015/04/28/2015042800664.html

Doctors on Thursday called on the government to do more to rein in child obesity. They met at a seminar organized by the National Health Insurance Service.

According to one study by Yonsei University College of Medicine, overweight children are highly likely to become obese adults.

jvalmer · Joined: 06 Jun 2003

Get the kids working the fields again. That should put a dent into child obesity.

Smithington · Joined: 14 Dec 2011

American fast food. Look at any photo of your grandparent's generation. Not many fat people, even among the middle classes. Today obesity is everywhere. But nah, let's open up some more fast food chains in Korea. Let's take one of the slimmest demographics on the planet and make their kids obese. Confused

Having them go back to the fields won't do much good if they're having Lotteria or KFC at lunch break.

Otus · Joined: 09 Feb 2006

It's the huge increase in sugar in the diet that seems to have a lot to do with it. Notice those new kind of candy stores that are now starting to open up in many places. Unlike smoking, legislation doesn't seem to be so effective in controlling this, or there wouldn't still be so many fat New Yorkers.

I've even experimented on it with myself and found I can stuff myself full of galbi, even eat the deep fry on chicken etc. without too much effect; but just a few sugary snacks a day piles it on in no time, and Korea is moving into sugar consumption big time.

SeoulNate · Joined: 04 Jun 2010 Location: Hyehwa

I had a discussion about this the other day with a coworker.

Last week I went to visit some elementary schools in the area for teacher observation and methodology feedback and I was rather shocked with a few of the classes that were made up of more than 90% fat kids.

10 years ago this was certainly not the case and even 3-5 years ago it was rare to see more than a few students in each class who were overweight.

I wonder if any other county has experienced this kind of overnight fatness.

tob55 · Joined: 29 Apr 2007

the country imports hormone laden meat products from other countries. What did they expect? Also, as 'western' style foods and fast foods begin to take over traditional home cooked meals it is an obvious result of poor diet. I am a person who has been over weight most of my adult life, and I made my choices, poor, but it is what it is. Children deserve to have healthier diets and the only people responsible for that are mom and dad, oh, but they are working all hours of the day and night. This problem isn't rocket science.

BTW SeoulNate, this wasn't an overnight phenom, but it took only about one decade to be realized. Same thing happened in the USA between the 70s and 80s, before it really took off in the 90s and early 2000s.

jvalmer · Joined: 06 Jun 2003

Steelrails · Joined: 12 Mar 2009 Location: Earth, Solar System

"Ajumma Obesity" sounds like a pretty decent metal band/album/song name.

atwood · Joined: 26 Dec 2009

atwood · Joined: 26 Dec 2009

atwood · Joined: 26 Dec 2009

Died By Bear · Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2015 2:43 am Post subject:

I don't understand how they can get so fat. I walked 12 miles today (step counter), just running errands from my house to the subway to my destination, around that area I was in, then back to the subway, back home, and then back to the subway again and to the driver's license compound and back home again. I burned 1200 calories and ate twice. Both times I ate wholesome food with veggies. What the heck are these people eating? I see the fatties walking too, although I don't see them climbing or descending stairs a whole lot...

Bongotruck · Joined: 19 Mar 2015

Sugar is definitely one of the culprits.

Go into any bakery. I think they use more sugar than flour in bakeries.

jvalmer · Joined: 06 Jun 2003

nicwr2002 · Joined: 17 Aug 2011

I think it's also the overpriced vegetables and fruit that they sell here. I really don't see how you are supposed to eat healthy everyday when I walk into a Lotte or Emart and buy 4 produce items that total 30 ~ 40,000W. Seriously, everything here is at least twice as expensive as back in the States. The reason seems to be that it's expensive just to be expensive. 3 국내산 apples were 10,000!!