It’s easier than Wegobi?… A professor who has treated obesity for 30 years says, “As you get older, ‘these muscles come first’”

“I recommend ‘walking 10 minutes more on your way to work’ every day. They say a month’s supply of Wigobi costs 700,000 to 800,000 won, but walking is free. You don’t have to set aside time and it’s not a burden to do it every day. The important thing is to ‘walk quickly’. “It’s perfect if you can say hello to people but are so out of breath that you can’t sing.”

Even though it has been a month since Wigobi, the ‘dream obesity treatment’, was launched in Korea, it is still in short supply. This probably means that there are many Koreans who want to become thinner. We met Oh Sang-woo (58), a professor of family medicine at Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital, who has advised pharmaceutical companies whenever obesity treatments were introduced in Korea. He, who has been devoted to obesity treatment and research for over 30 years, recently attracted attention by expressing his support for raising the obesity standard for Koreans from 25 to 27.

Professor Oh, who cried and laughed in the clinic with severely obese patients for decades, said, “Treating obesity changes an individual’s life, changes society, and changes the entire country. “It is time to change the standards set more than 20 years ago to suit reality,” he explained the background. He said, “The results of this National Health Insurance Service study show that the mortality rate is lowest at a BMI of 25, which is the standard for obesity,” and “Personally, my health goal is to maintain a body mass index (BMI) of 23 to 26.”

The three health rules he follows in his busy daily life, who ‘cannot become fat due to his job’, were surprisingly simple. Walk at least 10 minutes more, plan your daily diet focusing on vegetables, fish, and seaweed, and eat plenty of protein. The keywords are ‘simple’ and ‘can be done consistently.’

Professor Oh said, “I go to work at the hospital every morning, but I park at the nearby campus and try to walk for at least 10 minutes more. When I get to the hospital, I take the stairs to the third floor treatment room, but even when I sit down, I feel out of breath, so I take 3 to 4 minutes.” “You have to walk at a pace that requires you to catch your breath to get a real workout,” he explained.

However, when going down slopes or stairs, you must move carefully and slowly. Professor Oh advised, “If your weight increases by 1 kg, the pressure on your knees increases by 4 to 5 kg,” and added, “So, as you age, you need to maintain an appropriate weight and especially take good care of your knee health.”

If you want to add another bodyweight exercise to walking, squats are a good option. This is because it is important to strengthen your lower body muscles as you age. Professor Oh said, “All you have to do is decide to try it at least once a day while waiting for the bus in the office. “Consciously using public transportation often also helps strengthen leg muscles,” he said.

Professor Oh said, “Last month, we introduced the ‘biological age measurement method’ to a university hospital for the first time in Korea, and from an epigenetic perspective, the food you eat and exercise are very important,” and recommended changing your diet along with exercise. He said, “I always eat vegetable side dishes at every meal, and I enjoy fish and seaweed rather than red meat. Fish contains about 20 types of essential amino acids, so it is nutritionally excellent.”

In particular, he recommended consciously eating protein every day. Professor Oh said, “As we age, muscle loss occurs naturally, so it is important to eat protein. “The best way to supplement protein is to maintain a diet centered on tofu and soybean paste,” he said. “If you have teeth discomfort or poor digestion, drinking protein drinks is also helpful.”

Professor Oh, who graduated from Seoul National University College of Medicine in 1991, completed his master’s and doctoral degrees at the same graduate school and has focused on treating obesity at Ilsan Paik Hospital and elsewhere. He holds major positions in the Korean Society of Obesity, the Korean Society of Nutrition, and the Korean Precision Nutrition Association, and is actively engaged in clinical care, research activities, and health policy advisory.

Meanwhile, Maeil Business Newspaper is launching a new interview corner to hear ‘opinion leaders’ health methods’ as a year-round project to mark the first year of a super-aging nation in 2025. We plan to provide not only personal health management methods, but also suggestions for a ‘lively Korea in the era of 100 years’.

What are the top three health improvement strategies recommended by Professor Oh?‍

1. What are the top three things⁤ individuals can do to improve their health, according to Professor Oh?

2. How has attitudes towards obesity treatment evolved in Korea over the years, and what changes would Professor⁢ Oh like ‌to see moving forward?

3. Can ‌you explain the ​benefits of⁣ walking for 10 ‍minutes more ​every day, and how‌ does it differ from ​other forms of ⁤exercise?

4. How important⁣ is diet ⁤in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, particularly considering the role ‌of vegetables and fish?

5. What specific methods does Professor Oh recommend for maintaining a​ healthy weight as one ages, and addressing age-related muscle loss?

6. Can you explain why maintaining an appropriate weight is crucial for preventing knee problems, and how individuals can achieve this balance?

7. How can simple changes in daily routine, such as taking the stairs ‍or parking further away from work, contribute to overall health and wellbeing?

8. ‍What is Professor Oh’s ​stance on protein consumption and its⁣ role in maintaining‌ muscle ‌mass?

9. Can you‌ provide any specific tips or recommendations‍ for individuals struggling with weight‌ loss or maintaining a healthy weight?

10. As a leading‍ expert in obesity treatment, what advice would Professor Oh ‌give to healthcare‌ providers and policymakers regarding ​the treatment and prevention of obesity in Korea?