An illustration depicting a woman with malatang, smoothies and tanghulu, foods popular among Korean youth that are also criticized for their high sugar content (Getty Images Bank) Sweet desserts and abundant food delivery options have become a source of comfort for many young Koreans navigating their increasingly competitive and stressful lives.But those habits may be taking a toll: diabetes cases among younger generations are rising faster than among older age groups.Experts stress the importance of early lifestyle management, warning that earlier onset of the disease increases the risk of complications because patients must live with the condition for longer.A shifting patternAccording to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service on Tuesday, the number of diabetes patients in their 20s in South Korea surged 110.8 percent over nine years, reaching 45,000 in 2024.Though the figure seems small when compared with the country’s total diabetes patient population of 3.96 million, the growth rate far exceeds the overall increase of 58 percent during the same period.The rise has coincided with a sharp increase in obesity — which Korea defines as having a body mass index of 25 or higher — among younger generations. The obesity rate among people aged 19 to 29 climbed from 23.5 percent to 33.5 percent over the same period. Among diabetes patients in their 30s, 81.3 percent reported having obesity. Among diabetes patients aged 65 and older, the obesity rate stood at 38.3 percent.This pattern of obesity and diabetes increasingly appearing together is relatively new in South Korea. In the past, diabetes cases were more often associated with declining pancreatic function linked to aging.The shift also suggests that younger generations may face greater difficulty controlling diabetes, as obesity increases insulin resistance and makes blood sugar management more difficult, according to Park Se-eun, an endocrinology professor at Kangbuk Samsung Hospital.Sweet foods, stressful livesPark said changing dietary habits among younger generations, including growing reliance on delivery food and sugary desserts high in fat and sugar, are contributing to the rise in youth diabetes.Data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency showed that the proportion of people in their 20s who eat delivery or takeout food at least once a day rose by 7.8 percentage points, from 31.8 percent in 2016 to 39.6 percent in 2023.Among people in their 30s, the figure also increased from 23.6 percent to 32.1 percent over the same period.Lack of sleep, reduced physical activity and irregular mealtimes caused by demanding schedules are also believed to affect pancreatic function, compounding what some researchers describe as Koreans’ relatively lower insulin-secreting capacity.Separate research by Seoul National University found that Koreans tend to have smaller pancreases than Western populations, resulting in insulin-producing capacity around 36 percent lower.Earlier onset, greater risksDiabetes can cause vascular disorders and complications, including retinopathy, neuropathy and stroke, which in severe cases may lead to blindness or amputations if not managed properly.Experts say diabetes diagnosed at a younger age carries a greater risk of complications because patients must maintain lifestyle management for a much longer period.They urge regular health checkups and greater awareness of the disease in daily life, including maintaining regular mealtimes and combining aerobic exercise with strength training.They also stress the importance of early intervention, even at the prediabetes stage.“If diabetes in young people is detected early and managed properly, many complications can be prevented,” Kwak Soo-heon, a professor at Seoul National University Hospital, said in an interview with local media.“Rather than feeling reassured simply because they are young, people should recognize that they face a much longer period of disease management.”