What’s in a Label: Obesity in One of the World's Thinnest Countries

I am 174 centimeters (5 feet 8 inches) tall and weigh 76 kilograms (167 lbs). That means my body mass index (BMI) is 25.1. The international standard for obesity is 30. To be labeled obese, I need to gain 15 more kilograms — roughly the weight of a large Welsh corgi. But in South Korea, I am already obese, because BMI 25 is the obesity standard here. By some estimates, South Korea has one of the lowest obesity rates in the world. Clothing stores exhibit sizes that would fit figures described a