S. Korean men experiences rapid aging 10 years earlier than American men due to muscle loss

By Kim Joo-heon Posted : April 3, 2023, 17:26 Updated : April 3, 2023, 17:49

[Gettyimages Bank]

SEOUL -- According to a report by InBody, a Seoul-based healthcare company, South Korean men experience rapid aging at the age of 35, about 10 years earlier than American men. The healthcare firm said the phenomenon is related to muscle loss caused by acquired factors such as smoking and a congenital reason.
 
Data released by InBody showed that skeletal muscle mass in South Korean men decreases from the age of 35 while American males begin to lose at the age of 45. The report was created based on accumulated body composition data collected in 12 countries including the United States, Germany, and Canada from January 2017 to December 2021.
 
InBody explained that the result was due to South Korean men’s fewer androgen receptors which respond to male hormones such as testosterone as well as acquired factors such as excessive drinking and smoking.
 
According to data released by a state body affiliated with the Ministry of Health and Welfare, 31.3 percent of adult males smoked cigarettes in South Korea, with a population of some 51 million. Adult females' smoking rate was only 6.9 percent. The agency said the high-risk drinking rate for men aged 19 or older was 21.6 percent in 2020, up 3 percent from a year ago. The rate for women in 2020 was 6.3 percent, down 0.2 percent year-on-year.  
 
InBody's report also showed that South Korean women had a high body fat rate of 32 percent in their early 20s, but it gradually decreased as they go through their 20s. However, body fat increased among women in the U.S. and through their 20s. 

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