Today, workplace stress has become one of the primary culprits behind health issues. According to a December 27 report by Taiwan's Central News Agency, data recently released by South Korea's National Health Insurance Service reveals that men in their 30s have the poorest health in the country. Not only do they have the highest obesity rates, but in order to cope with workplace demands, they often smoke excessively and engage in the least amount of physical activity.
The survey revealed that men in their 30s had the highest obesity rate (41.1%) and smoking rate (52.8%). Among them, only 5.7% consistently engaged in moderate-intensity exercise ("exercise that leaves you slightly out of breath") for at least 30 minutes, five times a week—the lowest proportion across all age groups.
This data was derived from analyzing health checkup results provided by health insurance companies in 2012 for over 11 million individuals. Health insurance providers stated that according to the survey, men in their 30s often smoke excessively and lack time for exercise to adapt to workplace demands. Combined with high alcohol consumption and meat intake, this leads to severe obesity issues.
The survey revealed that among all Korean men, obesity and smoking rates stood at 38.1% and 42.2% respectively, with an average physical activity rate of 8.4%. For women, those under 20 had the highest smoking rate at 6.3%, while women in their 70s had the highest obesity rate at 39.1%.The overall average obesity and smoking rates for all women were 25.9% and 3.3%, respectively.