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

[HappyExpat57]

6 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 NEAR schools, actually on the school grounds. I watch the kids on the playground at lunch and am appalled at the amount of sugar they consume each and every day. When I started teaching in LOS about 15 years ago, most of the students brought healthy snacks from home. Now, ice cream, candy bars, etc. are being downed at a record pace. I see many future diabetics getting hooked on sugar. Arnold called it "White Death" and for a very good reason.

[BadSpottedDog]

A 30 year old Thai lady in our town just died from a heart attack. She ran a coffee and drink stand, and was seriously obese. So sad! This is going to be a challenge for Thailand to change.

[trainman34014]

What do they like to eat best for Breakfast ?.......Doughnuts !    I was told this by a Supermarket Manager when i enquired why it is that many Thai shops have empty Bread Shelves in the mornings when in the West the first thing we can smell is Fresh Bread as we walk thtough the door.   'Thai people like Doughnuts for Breakfast and not Bread ' he said.

 

A notable thing these days is when you go to a Bank or Immigration for example, the Staff nearly always arrive at their desks or positions with a Sweet Water Drink first thing in the morning.  The first of many during the day !

[paulikens]

That's what always makes me laugh that lots of people say the Thai diet is good.  is it f***!

[BigStar]

We should pin this article for those who usually pipe up to blame Western junk food restos for Thailand's obesity and diabetes epidemic. All that sugar in everything, sugar addiction learned from birth, practically.

 

My gym resides on soi lined with family shop houses. Soon as the kids arrive home from school, they immediately hit the food carts and run around holding sugary drinks in their hands.

[paulikens]

And a major lack of exercise to boot.

[KhaoNiaw]

Post WW2 and through to the 1970s, the Thai government and sugar industry actively promoted sugar as a healthy food group to boost mass consumption. Prior to that, it was something used mainly by the upper classes. They were obviously very successful. 

[Shocked farang]

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

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. 

The way this happens is that anytime you eat sugar or other carbohydrates (glucose), you force the pancreas to produce more insulin (to store all that into the cells), until the cells no longer respond to insulin, therefore starting insulin resistance and diabetes. 

[mfd101]

Less of a problem here in Isaan, particularly the poorer parts. Less Westernized, less money to waste on junk foods.

 

I almost never see a fat Thai here in Surin. Plenty of fat ol' male Falangs. In my extensive poor Khmer family (over 30 of them aged from 79 down to 4 or 5), there's not a single fat one. The only one who needs to watch his weight is the one who has plenty of cash ie my b/f.

[TigerandDog]

2 hours 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. 

even the 2 in 1's are unhealthy as the coffee creamer in them is also unhealthy.

[fredwiggy]

10 minutes ago, BigStar said:

We should pin this article for those who usually pipe up to blame Western junk food restos for Thailand's obesity and diabetes epidemic. All that sugar in everything, sugar addiction learned from birth, practically.

 

My gym resides on soi lined with family shop houses. Soon as the kids arrive home from school, they immediately hit the food carts and run around holding sugary drinks in their hands.

I've been a gym rat for 50 years, and eating healthy all that time. I've introduced my children by example my way of living, and they all exercise and eat pretty healthy. My 7 year old here, who I have joint custody of, eats healthy when she's with me, but when she's with my ex, at grandma's house, she eats eggs and rice most meals, and snacks are given frequently, although I've tried to tell them not to. When she comes here, they used to send crap here for her to eat, and I kept telling them, I know what to feed her better than any of you, don't give her any crap while she's with me. Parents are the first teachers of children, and the reason so many are obese and overweight is because their parents didn't know or care enough to teach them proper nutrition. They won't learn it outside of the house, as most of their peers are eating crap because that's all they saw growing up in their own houses, and when kids get together, they hit the stores and buy the garbage that they sell. You start a child out a certain way, and that's the way they'll stay as grownups, unless they see otherwise that's its wrong, and make their own changes. Fat kids usually come from fat families, parents who don't know any better. Thailand has gotten fatter through the years, and western food has some to do with it, but like you said, it still starts at home, and snacks have been around a long time. Too much rice, although not unhealthy as is, is still a problem, especially if that's a major part of their diet, because of the high glycemic level and the problem with diabetes here. Combine rice every meal with snacks and sugary beverages, and that's a child that's going to have problems later. especially if diabetes runs in the family.

[rwill]

It isn't just sweets.  The regular food contains a lot of sugar too.  At our friends restaurant I saw them making Moo Krob one day.  Before baking it they boiled it in a large vat of water.  Before adding the pork belly they dumped in 5 bags of sugar into the water.  Most restaurants also have sugar on the table to add to the food.

 

I was checking out some fish sauce.  A lot of it has sugar in it too.  Around 2% sugar.

 

I try and avoid sugar but I know when I eat out I am getting some.

Edited February 12 by rwill

[fredwiggy]

6 minutes ago, mfd101 said:

Less of a problem here in Isaan, particularly the poorer parts. Less Westernized, less money to waste on junk foods.

 

I almost never see a fat Thai here in Surin. Plenty of fat ol' male Falangs. In my extensive poor Khmer family (over 30 of them aged from 79 down to 4 or 5), there's not a single fat one. The only one who needs to watch his weight is the one who has plenty of cash ie my b/f.

I'm in Sisaket province next door,and in 6 plus years, I've seen more and more fat adults, especially the ones not doing daily farm work, every year I've been here. Thinking about my small village, there are quite a few that are overweight. The shops here all carry junk food and sugar drinks, and when I see the kids after school, they are all going to those shops and eating the crap they sell, which is just like the 7-11's carry. I'm the only farang in our village, and I'm lean, but the ones I see in the other villages and towns in our province are the usual kind, a little overweight to obese, with a few lean ones scattered around, mostly the younger crowd.

[uttradit]

So many 7/11s and markets it is harder to lose weight in Thailand than the west. So much temptation.

[Purdey]

Artificial sweeteners and sugar substitutes are there for producers to use. Why not profit from? The government should promote a sugar free diet using substitutes.

But I guess the sugar companies have a lot of clout. 

[rwill]

2 minutes ago, Purdey said:

Artificial sweeteners and sugar substitutes are there for producers to use. Why not profit from? The government should promote a sugar free diet using substitutes.

But I guess the sugar companies have a lot of clout. 

You should avoid artificial stuff too.  There are some other natural sugars that are way better for you.  Allulose is one but it is way more expensive than cane sugar.  Same with monkfruit sugar.

[jesimps]

7 hours ago, Lacessit said:

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.

For many years now I've been very careful about asking for no sugar in hot savoury food. If they say it's in the sauce etc I don't buy it. A lot of their savoury dishes to me taste like deserts there's so much sugar added.

[JackGats]

Never mind, cannabis is a national catastrophe, not sugar.

[rumeaug]

Except for a few (like construction workers or have to sweat it out hard to make a living), It is appalling how fat the Thais have gotten in the past decade.

[Xonax]

3 hours ago, alphone2 said:

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.

 

 

You are correct that a human body needs sugar, in order to function well. But that sugar should primarily come from healthy food like fruits and vegetables and not from sugary drinks, cakes and snacks. Diabetes is not caused by eating to much sugar, but by obesity, so when people are beginning to get fat, it is about time to cut down on the sugar intake.

[thailand49]

It is just one of the epidemic probles in the society especially with the masses the poor!  Sugar is like a drug there is zero education just talk in government schools.

Whatever W.H.O. concern dont provide funds to the Thai leadership to help fix it wont happen ever!

Edited February 12 by thailand49

[fredwiggy]

29 minutes ago, Xonax said:

You are correct that a human body needs sugar, in order to function well. But that sugar should primarily come from healthy food like fruits and vegetables and not from sugary drinks, cakes and snacks. Diabetes is not caused by eating to much sugar, but by obesity, so when people are beginning to get fat, it is about time to cut down on the sugar intake.

Obese people are more likely to get diabetes because of their diets, which is usually caused by too much sugar, refined carbs. There are many who, like my son who's very fit, got diabetes not from diet but genetics. My ex wife and her family members have it, and they are all lean to average. My aunt had it, an uncle, and my brother died from a heart attack brought on by his weight and diabetes. You are correct in saying that sugar should come from natural sources. Refined sugar is the problem. It's found in too many foods and drinks are loaded with it. Drinking calories is how people put on extra weight. Diabetes has a few causes, they are explained here........https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetes/symptoms-causes/syc-20371444

[Luuk Chaai]

5 hours ago, alphone2 said:

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.

 

 

actually ..    you can cut off 100%  all sugar and carbs      the brain runs more effeciently with keytones and the amt of glucose it may need is created by the body thru GlucoNeoGenesis  (simple breakdown ..fat and protein )

[Lacessit]

9 hours ago, ezzra said:

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...

How does the metformin interact with Cialis and Viagra? Asking for a friend.....

[Bday Prang]

10 hours ago, Lacessit said:

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

i try this everywhere, they often look at me like I am crazy, sometimes they just add sugar regardless like they somehow think they know better.  I have started telling them I am diabetic .   seems to do the trick

[Bday Prang]

2 hours ago, JackGats said:

Never mind, cannabis is a national catastrophe, not sugar.

idiotic comment and well off topic.

[Lacessit]

3 minutes ago, Bday Prang said:

i try this everywhere, they often look at me like I am crazy, sometimes they just add sugar regardless like they somehow think they know better.  I have started telling them I am diabetic .   seems to do the trick

I go to the food court once a week, when I am shopping. I always have pad thai goong.

All the cooks there know I don't want sugar or peanuts. Not that I have a peanut allergy, I just don't like them.

[uttradit]

In shopping centres a fruit shake tends to be sugar syrup and little actual fruit. The markets give you more fruit.

[Gknrd]

It is still an epidemic in the US. Good comments here. Sugar is a guaranteed death sentence.

[john donson]

6 hours 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. 

hahaha

 

3 in 1 is 40-45% sugar, 40-45% coffee mate and a bit of sugar

 

most milk drinks in 7/11 have barely any milk... 6-10% only , sugar and FLAVORS