S. Korean students becoming thinner, nearsighted: report

SEOUL, June 7 (Yonhap) -- A growing number of South Korean students are underweight and nearsighted, largely due to an unbalanced diet and bad living habits, government data showed Sunday.

About 6 percent of South Korean students in elementary, junior high and high
schools are considered to be under healthy weight levels, a slight increase from
the 5.8 percent categorized as underweight last year, according to education
ministry statistics.
Approximately four in every 10 South Korean students are nearsighted and require
glasses or have under-0.6 diopter eyesight, the data also showed.
Some 42.7 percent of students were considered nearsighted in 2008, a slight
increase from the 41.2 percent in 2007 and almost doubling from the 26.9 percent
in 1998.
Meanwhile, the percentage of obese students was decreasing, with 11.2 percent
considered overweight last year, compared to the 11.6 percent in 2007.
While more students are watching their diet to prevent obesity, excessive food
abstinence and unbalanced dieting are causing many students to become thinner
than recommended, the ministry noted.