ESPE Abstracts

Background: The worldwide prevalence of pediatric obesity has increased in recent decades, also in East Asia with environmental and lifestyle changes. Due to differences in obesity definitions and country-specific growth charts, direct comparisons of obesity prevalence across countries may not be appropriate. We aimto analyze the changes in weight distribution and the trends and patterns of pediatric obesity in China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan using WHO criteria to better understand and address this growing public health concern.

Methods: This study utilized data on pediatric obesity rates provided by the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration. Obesity and overweight were defined as a BMI of more than 2SD and 1SD above the median of the WHO growth reference for children and adolescents, respectively. Our study scrutinized the changes in weight distribution and trends in obesity prevalence among school-aged children and adolescents in East Asia from 2010 to 2022 using descriptive, arithmetic statistics and we used linear regression analysis to determine the level of increase in prevalence over the years for each country.

Results: Over the past 12 years, the prevalence of pediatric obesity in East Asia has steadily increased. The prevalence of overweight including obesity of South Korea was the highest for both boys (43.0% in 2022) and girls (24.6% in 2022), rising more rapidly. Analysis of prevalence rates by weight group (thinness, normal weight, overweight, obesity) revealed that in China and Japan, thinness and normal weight groups have decreased, while overweight and obesity groups have increased. In South Korea and Taiwan, normal weight and overweight groups have decreased, whereas thinness and obesity groups have increased, leading to a decrease in the proportion of children with normal weight and an increasing disparity among different weight groups. In girls, the prevalence of overweight and obesity increased the most in the order of China (β=0.56, P < 0.001), South Korea (β=0.24, P < 0.001), Japan (β=0.10, P < 0.001) and Taiwan (β=0.02, P < 0.001). In boys, the order was South Korea (β=0.79, P < 0.001), China (β=0.25, P < 0.001), Japan (β=0.17, P < 0.001) and Taiwan (β=-0.12, P < 0.001).

Conclusion: Countries like Korea and Taiwan, where both thinness and obesity rates are rising, may require different strategies compared to China and Japan, where such dual trends are not observed. Analyzing trends across various East Asian countries offers a broader understanding of regional differences and similarities, fostering cross-border collaborations and the sharing of best practices.