Nutrition transition in the Republic of Korea

Abstract

Accelerating epidemiological transition and concurrent shifts in diet, activity and body composition are universal trends, especially in middle‐ and lower‐income countries. A unique nutrition transition has occurred in the Republic of Korea, a country that modernized earlier than most Asian countries. This analysis attempts to describe the nutrition transition in the Republic of Korea, focusing on specific features that other countries may follow to retain the healthy elements of their traditional diets. The analysis uses secondary data on economics, dietary intake, anthropometry and causes of death, including a series of comparable nationally representative dietary surveys (the National Nutrition Survey). The structure of the economy of the Republic of Korea, along with dietary and disease patterns, began an accelerated shift in the 1970s. Major dietary change included a large increase in the consumption of animal food products and a fall in total cereal intake. Uniquely, the amount and the rate of increase in fat intake have remained very low. The Republic of Korea also has a relatively low prevalence of obesity compared with other Asian countries with similar or much lower incomes. The nutrition transition in the Republic of Korea is unique. National efforts to retain elements of the traditional diet are thought to have shaped this unique transition in the Republic of Korea in the midst of rapid economic growth and introduction of western culture.