Thailand’s sugar intake quadruples WHO daily limit causing health concerns

[webfact]

Thailand’s sugar consumption has soared to a worrying level, with Thai citizens consuming on average 23 teaspoons of sugar per day, almost quadruple the daily limit recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). The information was revealed by the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth), which pointed out that this sugar intake greatly exceeds WHO’s guideline of six teaspoons per day.

 

Pairoj Saonuam, the Assistant Chief Executive Officer at ThaiHealth, highlighted the health risks associated with such high consumption on Sunday. He identified heart attacks, strokes, cancers and diabetes as the major health hazards linked to excessive sugar intake among the Thai population.

 

He pinpointed sugary drinks as the main source of sugar in the Thai diet and urged manufacturers to cut down on the sugar content in their beverages. In a joint effort to combat the issue, ThaiHealth has collaborated with various organisations such as the Excise Department, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Public Health. They have imposed a sugar tax under the Excise Act 2017, targeting drinks with high sugar content.

 

by Mitch Connor

Photo courtesy of iStock

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2024-02-12

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

 

[watgate]

When you see stalls situated near schools selling all sorts of sugary sodas and cakes and cookies and other assorted junk foods it is no wonder their is an epidemic of out of control sugar consumption in Thailand.

[zhounan]

Sugar is one the biggest problem in Thailand. 

[stupidfarang]

When you see the shop inside the school selling this junk it is a concern as well. Also look at the milk drinks sold, promoting all the vitamins, anything from 3% to 12% sugar.

[Skipalongcassidy]

SUGAR KILLS... eat it... drink it... or inhale the smoke from the burning fields.

[mfd101]

Sugar is your enemy, as all out-sized Westerners should know by now.

 

Thais still on a learning curve ...

[Lacessit]

It says something about Thailand's craving for sugar that Mitrapol has bought up Australia's sugar production lock, stock and barrel.

 

I have noticed with many dishes Thais ladle on chilli. then ladle on an equal amount of sugar to soften the bite of the chilli. It would be healthier to use a smaller amount of spice, and omit sugar.

 

At a food court, I have to tell the cooks to leave out the sugar.

[fredwiggy]

"He pinpointed sugary drinks as the main source of sugar in the Thai diet and urged manufacturers to cut down on the sugar content in their beverages".  Not understanding this is intentional knowing that people get addicted to things easily, one of them sugar. Look at any 7-11's cooler shelves. Two or three diet sodas, maybe two sugarless teas, and another 100 loaded with sugar, which is what most locals choose. Drinking calories is the quickest way to gain extra pounds, and is also a one way ticket to diabetes for a lot here.

[ezzra]

Tell me about it, the ladies i meet in Pattaya are so sweet i have to double my daily Metformin medication

just to stay alive...

[nikmar]

43 minutes ago, watgate said:

When you see stalls situated near schools selling all sorts of sugary sodas and cakes and cookies and other assorted junk foods it is no wonder their is an epidemic of out of control sugar consumption in Thailand.

 

and also inside the schools themselves

[HauptmannUK]

Thai sugar intake is huge.  Years ago it was a rare thing to encounter an obese Thai person - nowadays its common.

[zhounan]

Sugar is considered one of the refined 5 white poisons: white rice, salt, milk, sugar and flour.

 

 

[ChrisY1]

CP foods have done great job in promoting their heavily sugared foods....even freakin' butter!

[Wuvu2]

Only quadruple WHO standards?  I doubt that very much 😉

[spidermike007]

Those sugary drinks are the worst, one cup of Thai iced tea probably has six or seven spoons full of sugar in it, that is diabetes waiting to happen. 

[Clarkey611]

Quadruple WHO standards?

 

A bit like the PM 2.5.

Thailand the hub of quadruples.

[Genericnic]

Not surprising. When I first started coming to Thailand 25 years ago, you rarely saw overweight children. Now, with the increased sugar consumption and lack of activity due to too much screen time, it is getting hard to find children that are not overweight not to mention adults. 

[ChaiyaTH]

4 hours ago, watgate said:

When you see stalls situated near schools selling all sorts of sugary sodas and cakes and cookies and other assorted junk foods it is no wonder their is an epidemic of out of control sugar consumption in Thailand.

Not to even start about their ice coffee and tea, this is like 5 spoons of sugar each already, if not 10. No wonder then that there are sugar shortages in the world lately, and a <deleted> load of obese + diabetes as a consequence. Or those slurpies in 7/11, same thing, kids love those.

Edited February 12 by ChaiyaTH

[alphone2]

The brain needs some sugar to function properly, hence the guidelines not omitting it totally.

 

Whether some Thais need even this amount must therefore be brought into consideration.

 

 

[JMonroe]

This is why the WHO says Thai women are the second most obese in Asia. When I first came to live here more than 20 years ago, most Thai women were very slim. Very attractive. Now, the average Thai woman on Thai dating websites is about 157 centimeters and 65-70 kilos. And more than a few of these fat pigs say they are looking for a "sugar daddy."

[BenStark]

Sugar is promoted here, just look at the supermarket shelves,

 

Products that have high sugar contents, like sweetened milk or regular sodas, have price deductions, while sugar free products either are out of stock or are priced higher

[bananafish]

Order a Thai ice tea without specifying low/no sugar, and you will get an utterly unpalatable 50% sugar beverage. 

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

He pinpointed sugary drinks as the main source of sugar in the Thai diet and urged manufacturers to cut down on the sugar content in their beverages. In a joint effort to combat the issue

So no changes then?

[metisdead]

An off topic post and a post with nothing other than a trolling image contravening our Community Standards has been removed.

[Rimbuman]

They even put heaps of it in their soup.

Actually it has become harder and harder to find good noodle soup, khao soi and dumpling soups that the vendors/cooks have prepared without sugar.

[keithkarmann]

You only have to visit Macro down the coffee Isles, many many 3 in 1 coffee sachets but 2 in 1 coffee sachets without sugar are almost impossible to find. 

[Modern Coding]

As someone who has already lived in a couple of different countries, I have noticed VERY QUICKLY how Thais are STRONGLY ADDICTED to sugar, ALREADY AT VERY YOUNG AGE!

As if they got addicted already in mum's womb!

Compared to other cuisines, I find Thai food amazingly sweet, be it noodle soup, fried rice, salad,...

 

I have asked Thais, whether it traditionally has always been the case, and if so, whether they have always been using refined sugar - knowing that it is quite a recent invention in human history -, or whether they were using natural sweetener such as mango-based things... Nobody could give me any answer.

 

I have never been to Burma yet, but I have a Burmese co-worker who recently arrived in Thailand: while she is thankful for having the opportunity to escape her country's situation and to come to Thailand, the very first thing she "complained" about, was how sweet Thai food is! Her Burmese friends told her even before she arrived to buy cooking material, since she would not stand more than a couple of days eating outside!

 

But guess what: when we all have lunch together with the team, one of my Thai co-worker always feel the need to pour sugar in the already sweet meal! Exactly like the French who, like as a reflex, add salt in the already salty meal!

Edited February 12 by Modern Coding

[Modern Coding]

12 minutes ago, keithkarmann said:

You only have to visit Macro down the coffee Isles, many many 3 in 1 coffee sachets but 2 in 1 coffee sachets without sugar are almost impossible to find. 

This is not only in Thailand, but also in Cambodia and in Vietnam. I have always seen coffee + milk + sugar or coffee + sugar, but never coffee + milk.

[lapamita]

sugar is cheap in production

 

as well 100% juice is extremly expensive in thailand , until some years ago you find the tax sticker ( like on wine) on all 100% juice  ,i dont know now they dont have tax stickers, so maybe tax gone, but price  the same

[stoner]

i remember a few months back i said that the stats were showing thai women averaged 63 kilo now. 

 

guess this backs up how wrong i was told i was.