The city government teamed up with the Korean Society for the Study of Obesity to survey around 6,850 children aged 3 to 5 and assess their overall physical condition through height and weight measurements, along with physical tests to check flexibility and agility.
Their average height was 99.10 centimeters for 3-year-olds, 105.57 centimeters for 4-year-olds and 112.10 centimeters for 5-year-olds, while the average weight stood at 15.80 kilograms, 18.03 kilograms and 20.38 kilograms, respectively.
Most children were within normal ranges, though 17.9 percent had a higher-than-normal body mass index (BMI), which is calculated by dividing body weight by height squared and is often used to assess overweight and obesity levels.
The survey also found that children with higher BMI levels tended to perform worse in physical tests measuring balance, agility and jumping.
A separate survey of some 1,058 parents and 227 teachers also showed that only 25.7 percent of children engaged in more than three hours of physical activity a day.
The city government said it plans to continue monitoring children's weight and fitness levels, while expanding programs at daycare centers, nurseries and in local communities to help prevent obesity.
"Preventing childhood obesity is not just about weight control, but also about supporting healthy growth, good habits and sufficient physical activity," said Cho Young-chang, a Seoul city official.
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