' Get Rid Of Your Spare Tyres,' Health Minister Orders Officials

[george]

'Get rid of your spare tyres,' Health Minister orders officials

BANGKOK: -- Thailand's Public Health Minister Mongkol Na Songkhla has ordered his staff to go on strict diets and exercise regularly to stay slim in a bid to set a good example for the public.

The minister said he feared Thai adults and children were eating themselves to ill-health.

Obesity has become a matter of national concern as it is a high risk factor for diabetes, heart disease and high cholesterol which are on the rise nationwide. There are, for example, over 3 million people with diabetes.

The country's health care system has been under increasing pressure from persons with long-term illnesses as a result of over-consumption of low-nutrient and calorie-rich diets, he added.

Dr. Mongkol told the national health promotion conference Thursday that female officials at the Public Health Ministry should shrink their waists to 32 inches maximum while their male colleagues should reduce their middles down to below 35 inches.

The minister urged his staff to start now to control what they eat and lead a more active life.

"We should cut down carbohydrate-rich food and eat more fresh vegetables and make sure chicken meat, beef and pork is not fatty," Dr. Mongkol said, adding that many diseases could be prevented by simply eating healthily.

He asked his officials to be a role model in a bid to ratchet up a campaign to raise public awareness.

"Let us, public health officials, be the role model. We have to start with ourselves first, especially senior executives. You have to set a good example. Don't have too big a waist," Dr. Mongkol told his audience.

--TNA 2007-02-16

[kmart]

Yup, there sure seems to be a lot of Thai fatties around these days. Catching up to the West rapidly.....

[naka]

Yup, there sure seems to be a lot of Thai fatties around these days. Catching up to the West rapidly.....

Given the Chinese (and other Asians) preoccupation with food, they

are guaranteed to surpass the western obesity rates pretty soon.

Naka.

[Martin]

This fits in nicely with "sufficiency".

Eat sufficient, and avoid excess.

Maybe there was a similar message on gambling (aimed at the West):

"It is OK to have a little flutter for a nice little bit of excitement, but we are not having you go at it to the extent of knackering the baht on the forex market."

[ChiangMaiAmerican]

Fat is actually more dangerous for an Asian than for other races. Asians have different body fat distribution than other races which when coupled with even a modest amount body fact spells trouble. A recent study concluded even small amounts of excess fat greatly increases an Asian's risk of heart disease, diabetes, etc. Wise move by the Health Ministry.

[PhilHarries]

Yup, there sure seems to be a lot of Thai fatties around these days. Catching up to the West rapidly.....

Given the Chinese (and other Asians) preoccupation with food, they

are guaranteed to surpass the western obesity rates pretty soon.

Naka.

Obesity is becoming a real problem in Malaysia and perhaps a vision of Thailand in a few years.

Sad, but it seems to be the sucker punch of becoming a developing/developed nation. Also it's the flip side of increasing personal wealth and manifests itself worldwide. In the UK the citizens were leaner, fitter and more healthy in the '50s and '60s than now, that despite all the "unhealthy" additives we didn't realise were there nor that they were bad for us.

I don't think it is the preoccupation with food that is doing the damage. More it is the preoccupation with western food fueled by high pessure marketting by the fast food chains. The way the Thais eat coupled with the traditional Thai diet gave rise to the physical build of the people. Some might argue that the Thai physical build is a result of poverty, if you don't have money you can only eat rice and vegetables plus some minimal meat/fish flavourings and you don't get fat. So we're back to increased personal wealth and the downward spiral into western consumerism and it's attendant obesity.

I don't think getting a few civil servants to slim down will change anything. What is needed is education, plus they could run MacDonalds, Pizza Hut, KFC et al out of town. That I'd support.

[Martin]

If "you can only eat rice and vegetables plus some minimal meat/fish flavourings" you are not in poverty.

Poverty is when you can't (find enough money, or other reason prevents you to) eat sufficiently.

In this climate (where there is little need for calories to combat cold) "rice and vegetables plus some minimal meat/fish flavourings" is the healthy lifestyle.

What has led the West and East astray is the HVAC (Heating, Ventilating, Air-Conditioning) industry and TV (Tele-Vision).

If Westerners hadn't acquired central heating and tv they wouldn't have got soft and slobby.

And if the Easterners hadn't got air-conditioning and tv they wouldn't have gone aping the Westerners.

Well, we can't turn the clock back. So we had better mend our ways.

[astral]

I always leave my old tyres at the shop when I have new ones fitted

and only have one spare tyre................

[richard10365]

While encouraging your staff to live a healthier lifestyle is ok, I think the advise is a little off the mark. Giving them advice to shrink their waste to a certain size is kinda silly.

I think he should probably consult a dietitian before he gives advice like that.

[Donnyboy]

I always leave my old tyres at the shop when I have new ones fitted

and only have one spare tyre................

is it a spare for a Yaris or Fortuner??