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By Peter Roche

One in ten Thai children is now considered obese, according to a report from the country’s Department of Health.

 

The data shows that over 9% of children under the age of 5 are considered overweight and that percentage increases to 13.4% in children aged 6–14 and 13.2% in those aged 15-18.

 

Dr Suwannachai Wattanayingcharoenchai from the Department of Health says parents must act to provide a healthier diet for children, who are currently exposed to unhealthy levels of fat, sugar, and salt.

 

The latest report indicates that things will only get worse unless parents and teachers act now to increase nutritional awareness among children.

 

According to a Bangkok Post report, the World Obesity Federation says rates of childhood obesity are likely to double between 2020 and 2035.

 

Another report shows that a third of Thai children eat sugary snacks and drink sweetened beverages every day, with nearly 30% of children allowed to choose the food they eat themselves.

 

Dr Suwannachai is calling on parents to take more responsibility for choosing the foods their children consume.

 

“Children often make bad choices when left to choose what to eat, which is only made worse by the marketing strategies of confectionery manufacturers.

 

Parents and schools should teach them how to select good food and the consequences to their health a poor diet can pose.”

 

Source: https://phuket-go.com/phuket-news/national-news/thai-health-officials-worried-about-growing-number-of-fat-kids/

 

-- © Copyright Phuket GO 2023-03-06

 

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i see they are blaming sugar again which means children and adults will continue to get fatter

I blame technology.

 

 

Interesting. We had a discussion today about the kids in the village.......all flatly refuse to work in the fields and spend all day hammering about on their exhaust, modified motorbikes........the times they are a changin'.

Edited March 6, 20233 yr by Will B Good

6 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

i see they are blaming sugar again which means children and adults will continue to get fatter

sugar would definitely be the number one cause.  The vehicle for the delivery of that is the ease of consumption of it in all the processed foods and drinks thru convenience stores now.

Of course, lethargy or lack of exercise is number two.  You can fight thru bad diet if you are a physical labor machine (see Michael Phelps diet when he was competing).  12,000 calories and a huge amount of carbs while at it.

 

For breakfast, this is what he ate:

• 3 fried egg sandwiches with tomatoes, fried onions, mayo, lettuce, and cheese
• One five egg omelet
• One bowl of grits
• 3 slices of French toast dusted with powdered sugar
• 3 chocolate chip pancakes
• 2 cups of coffee

It seems that his intention was to start the day off really well. For lunch, he took it a little easier:

• A pound of enriched pasta
• Two large ham-and-cheese sandwiches with mayo on white bread
• 1,000 calories of energy drinks

For dinner, he had perhaps his lightest meal of the day:

• Another pound of pasta
• One 8-inch pizza
• Several energy drinks

 

14 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

Interesting. We had a discussion today about the kids in the village.......all flatly refuse to work in the fields and spend all day hammering about on their exhaust, modified motorbikes........the times they are a changin'.

Already nothing can stop the progress of advertising.

22 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

Interesting. We had a discussion today about the kids in the village.......all flatly refuse to work in the fields and spend all day hammering about on their exhaust, modified motorbikes........the times they are a changin'.

that is a lot better than hammering their mobile phone only

And again the salt isn't the problem at all.
Fat is not really the issue. Bad fats is a health issue but you won't get fat from fat pork.

It is the sugar and carbohydrates.

I comment on this regularly. Our  home is quite central in the village and most of the kids pass by us going to and from the village shop. Out of school hours there's almost a constant stream of kids going to the shop and returning with usual haul of fat and sugar laden snacks and drinks.

 

And worse, they're not even benefitting from walking or biking to the shop. Many of them are now transiting on their shiny new electric scooters and trikes.

 

Same when going to and from school. The furthest any kid has to travel to the school is around 700 meters but many now using their EVs, on the main road of course!

 

Naturally my comments inevitably fall on deaf ears. 'It's up to them' is the standard Thai response.

1 hour ago, Dart12 said:

sugar would definitely be the number one cause.  The vehicle for the delivery of that is the ease of consumption of it in all the processed foods and drinks thru convenience stores now.

Of course, lethargy or lack of exercise is number two.  You can fight thru bad diet if you are a physical labor machine (see Michael Phelps diet when he was competing).  12,000 calories and a huge amount of carbs while at it.

 

For breakfast, this is what he ate:

• 3 fried egg sandwiches with tomatoes, fried onions, mayo, lettuce, and cheese
• One five egg omelet
• One bowl of grits
• 3 slices of French toast dusted with powdered sugar
• 3 chocolate chip pancakes
• 2 cups of coffee

It seems that his intention was to start the day off really well. For lunch, he took it a little easier:

• A pound of enriched pasta
• Two large ham-and-cheese sandwiches with mayo on white bread
• 1,000 calories of energy drinks

For dinner, he had perhaps his lightest meal of the day:

• Another pound of pasta
• One 8-inch pizza
• Several energy drinks

 

It's mostly the fatty junk food. Plenty of people stay slim and healthy including sugar in their diet

Edited March 6, 20233 yr by scubascuba3

Bit late, they never listen no matter how many times you tell mum that kids drinking 2 litres of coke a day, cakes, KFC and the rest of the junk is not a good idea, it does not sink in. At hospital last week big poster for anti obesity day, next to it was a menu with all the cakes you could order from the Starbucks downstairs 

Edited March 6, 20233 yr by proton

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

i see they are blaming sugar again which means children and adults will continue to get fatter

Yes, because they are going to continue consuming it.

 

However, they're going to enjoy that short but happy life recommended by most all our posters, so the hand wringing is merely phony.

17 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

It's mostly the fatty junk food. Plenty of people stay slim and healthy including sugar in their diet

I think you are saying the same thing...but junk food sugar, processed food sugar, sugar drinks (coffee's, teas included).

And of course their are healthy fats and unhealthy fats.  But fat in of itself is not bad.  Grass fed butter, meats, fish, coconuts etc is great for you.

And no, sugar in your fruit and real/natural foods not gonna kill you.  But sugar in all your other foods most certainly will, or adding it into all your cooking sauces, etc.

 

1 hour ago, PJ71 said:

I blame technology.

 

 

I blame the useless parents

Obesity of all ages is a common worldwide problem.  

47 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

It's mostly the fatty junk food. Plenty of people stay slim and healthy including sugar in their diet

it is not about including sugar, it is about the huge amounts of it, in every food even food that is not sweet.
It is not the sugar in the coffee it, it is that there is no single meal without it

23 minutes ago, cnx101 said:

I blame the useless parents

I blame evolution

3 minutes ago, swm59nj said:

Obesity of all ages is a common worldwide problem.  

Not everywhere...the former Soviet countries and other not so modern countries are way better off....Worst is USA/UK/Australia (not sure about AU) and everywhere else it is less, up to how modern their food is

Congratulations to Ministry of Health. It took them only 20 years to figure this one out.

 

There is a Thai Television program that makes championships for who eats the most in less time... Thai culture ????

 

 

 

1 hour ago, h90 said:

And again the salt isn't the problem at all.
Fat is not really the issue. Bad fats is a health issue but you won't get fat from fat pork.

It is the sugar and carbohydrates.

• ‌Carbohydrates:‌ 4 calories per gram
• ‌Fat:‌ 9 calories per gram
• ‌Protein:‌ 4 calories per gram

4 minutes ago, RocketDog said:

• ‌Carbohydrates:‌ 4 calories per gram
• ‌Fat:‌ 9 calories per gram
• ‌Protein:‌ 4 calories per gram

yes and? that is meaningless....
You aren't eating a fixed 500Gram and depending on the calorie density you get bigger or smaller.
eat worth 500 kcal of white bread with jam and fat pork and check when you are hungry again.
2-3 hours after the easy to digest carbs...half a day after the fat.
Beside that fat and protein is essential but carbohydrates are not. Because you need the essential fatty acids.

So over all it is easier to keep or reduce your weight with fat food than with carbohydrate rich food

10 minutes ago, Tarteso said:

There is a Thai Television program that makes championships for who eats the most in less time... Thai culture ????

 

 

 

Thai culture. Oh really? And there's plenty more of these out there.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=457044512686838

2 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

Thai culture. Oh really? And there's plenty more of these out there.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=457044512686838

That is uncivilized, but we had these fun in Europe in the 1970s also and no one was fat there....(And I almost won).
It is ugly but won't make you fat.

9 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

21 minutes ago, Tarteso said:

There is a Thai Television program that makes championships for who eats the most in less time... Thai culture ????

 

 

 

 

5 minutes ago, h90 said:

9 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

Thai culture. Oh really? And there's plenty more of these out there.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=457044512686838

 

5 minutes ago, h90 said:

That is uncivilized, but we had these fun in Europe in the 1970s also and no one was fat there....(And I almost won).
It is ugly but won't make you fat.

I wasn't suggesting that it could make you fat. (unless it was a daily habit of course)

 

Rather I was commenting on the previous poster's suggestion that eating contests were part of 'Thai culture'. Not so, they are just yet another bad habit imported from the west to go along with the junk food and soda drinks.

The schools in our neighborhood all have a 7/11 across the street. In addition to that there's soda carts, processed meat carts and ice cream carts right outside the school's gate. There are no healthy options at all. 

Don't blame the kids for making bad choices when there's nothing else. 

31 minutes ago, RocketDog said:

• ‌Carbohydrates:‌ 4 calories per gram
• ‌Fat:‌ 9 calories per gram
• ‌Protein:‌ 4 calories per gram

Calories are not the issue. The issue here is what sugar, trans fats and carbohydrates do to your body. So not all calories are the same.

It’s just poor nutrition, poor Education System, very bad habits from parents. Look at all those noodle shops and majority MSG “Restaurants” 

Edited March 6, 20233 yr by Tarteso

13 minutes ago, Tarteso said:

It’s just poor nutrition, poor Education System, very bad habits from parents. Look at all those noodle shops and majority MSG “Restaurants” 

Blaming traditional Thai eating habits are you?

 

Was there an obesity problem here in Thailand before the arrival of western junk food outlets? I don't think so.

7-11 is all too convenient