Jung Jun-sung's Yeomindongnak (357) The Truth About 'Obesity Injection'

Obesity standards are measured by the 'BMI' or body mass index established by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The index refers to the value of body weight divided by the square of height.

Generally, 20-25 is considered normal, 26-30 is overweight, and over 30 is considered obese.

For Asians, who relatively have smaller builds, 23 or above is considered overweight, and 25 or above is deemed obese.

According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the obesity prevalence rate (BMI 25 or above) among Korean adults is 38.4% as of 2022, which is considerably high.

In particular, men account for 49.8%, meaning roughly one in two men is obese.

Compared to women (27.7%), men are significantly more 'bloated.'

The higher the prevalence rate, the more prone people are to illness and the higher the mortality rate—this is the established consensus.

Therefore, body mass index has long been recognized as a figure that threatens life, going beyond a simple matter of body shape.

This is because insulin resistance triggered by obesity leads to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

The World Health Organization (WHO) also emphasized the severity of the situation by announcing that the global obese population exceeded 1 billion as of 2022.

Despite these concerns, it is also conventional wisdom that obesity is not a matter of laziness or lack of willpower.

It is a chronic disease in which genetic, biological, and environmental factors work in combination.

Nevertheless, social prejudice and stigma regarding 'personal responsibility' remain strong.

Of course, obesity is certainly a disease that must be managed.

However, at the same time, excessive dieting and body weight anxiety are not beneficial to health either.

Thus, obesity treatment injection shots developed by 'global pharmaceutical companies' have emerged.

Demand for such injections is exploding worldwide.

South Korea is no exception. As years pass, demand for obesity treatment injection shots is skyrocketing.

Last year alone, approximately 1.1 trillion won worth of these products were imported.

This year, the rate of increase is steeper, with nearly 100 billion won imported in January alone.

This reflects both the resolution of health problems stemming from overweight and the desire to become slimmer.

In particular, for patients with severe obesity or metabolic diseases, such treatment can be a definitive means of changing quality of life.

However, the problem is that obesity treatment injections are being indiscriminately used beyond medical necessity for cosmetic dieting purposes.

Harmful misinformation exploiting this abounds in the market.

According to data from the Fair Trade Commission and the Korea Consumer Agency, 1,147 cases of harmful misinformation were identified from 2023 through April of this year.

Reports of adverse effects from obesity treatment medication use, including digestive system organ damage and pain, also numbered 210 cases (18.3%).

In response, the government recently issued a 'consumer safety alert' related to obesity injection treatment.

Furthermore, it is considering designating obesity injections as 'drugs of concern for misuse and overuse' and has committed to preventing prescriptions beyond approved uses.

The truth about obesity injections also clearly contains the point that they can cause health damage.

When the injections are discontinued, rebound weight gain occurs, and not only fat but also muscle mass decreases together, often lowering basal metabolic rate.

When muscle is lost, the moment the medication is stopped, the body is more likely to gain weight more easily.

Considering this, obesity treatment injections cannot be a panacea if one does not accurately understand their own body condition.

Moreover, they are clearly not a 'miracle drug.'

Under proper medical judgment, they are merely a 'medical tool' that demonstrates their true value only when used alongside lifestyle modifications.