A Comparison of Dietary Intake According to the Degree of Obesity of Korean and Chinese Adults

Abstract

This study compares the nutrient and food intake of Korean and Chinese adults. We analyzed data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey, Working Group of Obesity in China, and Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The participants were 79,684 adults (17,431 Korean men; 22,133 Korean women; 21,497 Chinese men; and 18,623 Chinese women). The obesity rates of the Chinese men and women (38.8%, 28.4%) were higher than those of their Korean counterparts (37.2%, 26.9%). The Chinese participants also showed a higher intake of energy, fats, and carbohydrates. However, they had a lower intake of dietary fiber, calcium, and vitamin A. They had a higher intake of grains, meat, and milk products compared to the Korean group. However, they had a lower intake of vegetables. In both countries, obese adults had a higher nutrient density of fat, carbohydrates, and sodium compared to non-obese adults. In contrast, they had a lower nutrient density of dietary fiber, calcium, and vitamin A. In conclusion, there were significant differences in the nutrient and food intake of the Korean and Chinese participants. However, there were significant similarities in nutrient density between the obese participants across the two countries.