Fighting overweight and obesity

[webfact]

 

Obesity is a major public health problem, both internationally and in Thailand. In 2022, according to the World Health Organization, 1 in 8 people in the world were living with obesity. Between 1990 and 2022, the obesity rate more than doubled among adults and quadrupled among children and adolescents worldwide.   

 

In Thailand, obesity is continuing to rise. A study in 2022 revealed the prevalence of overweight and obesity in the country had reached 47.8%, increasing from 34.7% in 2016. Thailand had the second highest proportion of overweight and obesity in ASEAN after Malaysia. And the number of people who are overweight or obese increases every year.

 

When it comes to losing weight, many people don’t understand the importance of nutrition, making it difficult to attain their goals. Some are confused about eating less to lose weight and what constitutes proper nutrition. To help them lose weight in a healthy and sustainable way, Thai PBS World talked to Assoc. Prof. Chaowanee Chupeerach, deputy director of Mahidol University’s Institute of Nutrition about the benefits of good nutrition and how it can help people lose weight.

 

Good nutrition supports weight loss, she stressed. The first step is for people to find out if they are a healthy weight. One of the most common ways to measure obesity is the body mass index (BMI), a value derived from the weight and height of a person.

 

According to the BMI score for Asia, normal weight is between 18.5-22.9, overweight is between 23-24.9 and obese is over 25.

 

“If your BMI reading falls into the overweight category, that means you have an energy imbalance,” Chaowanee said, adding that the imbalance is generated by unhealthy dietary consumption and inadequate levels of physical activity.

 

Full story: Thai PBS 2024-04-08

 

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[Sandboxer]

I'm more of a glass half full kinda guy.

 

I beat Anorexia!

[mfd101]

18 minutes ago, webfact said:

When it comes to losing weight, many people don’t understand the importance of nutrition, making it difficult to attain their goals.

Just about sums it up.

[JoePai]

Stop pouring so much sugar into food would be a good start

[KhunLA]

Eat less, burn more, while taking in the proper nutrients.   

Not exactly rocket science 

[OneMoreFarang]

I have to admit I prefer too big and happy compared to all those people who watch their diet and can't eat this and that and not more than a little, etc.

 

Enjoy your life and eat what you want. We will all die. And at least I prefer to die happy with my favorite food.

 

 

[BigStar]

31 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Enjoy your life and eat what you want. We will all die. And at least I prefer to die happy with my favorite food

 

Happy, but probably earlier. Along with the food, your meds. Perhaps partially blind with one leg amputated already.

 

I do think our forum "short but happy life" advocates should, along with the fave food pics, be required to post pics of the meds as well and give the current dosages. Also informative would be some figures relating to yearly medical costs. 

[retarius]

I'm fat, but I have just ordered some Ozempig (sic) to slim me down. I've heard that in a week I'll be able to run, jump, swim and fish like ladies using sanitary products. Lucky me. 

[cooked]

Using BMI results can be misleading. It was originally developed by army and navy recruitment agencies, so not really meant for individuals. Try: waist measurement should be less than half your height. 

No point in discussing diet here as that usually devolves into a fruitless, usually misinformed, discussion.

[FolkGuitar]

I've been following Keto for the past 5 years.

In the first year, I dropped from 115 kilos down to my goal of 72 kilos.

I've maintained 72+/- kilos for the last four years, while eating foods I enjoy, without a thought about reducing the amounts of those foods. Never feel hungry. Eat as much as I want of good, healthy vegetables, fresh fruit, nuts, cheese, breads, meats, chicken, fish, etc., and even have desserts when I want them. I eat in restaurants 6-10 times a week, just being careful what I select.  Annual health checks at Rajaveg tell me I'm still healthy.

It isn't that hard to be healthy.
Keto works, not as a diet, but as a lifestyle.
 

[KhunLA]

12 minutes ago, FolkGuitar said:

I've been following Keto for the past 5 years.

In the first year, I dropped from 115 kilos down to my goal of 72 kilos.

I've maintained 72+/- kilos for the last four years, while eating foods I enjoy, without a thought about reducing the amounts of those foods. Never feel hungry. Eat as much as I want of good, healthy vegetables, fresh fruit, nuts, cheese, breads, meats, chicken, fish, etc., and even have desserts when I want them. I eat in restaurants 6-10 times a week, just being careful what I select.  Annual health checks at Rajaveg tell me I'm still healthy.

It isn't that hard to be healthy.
Keto works, not as a diet, but as a lifestyle.

I can't go all keto, but was surprised when peeking at what is Keto-ish foods, and most I like and are available.  List of for me, as I omitted the one's I don't eat, or not really available in TH, or where I live.

 

I still need my pastry & bread, so all Keto just wouldn't work for me.

 

[rwill]

13 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

I can't go all keto, but was surprised when peeking at what is Keto-ish foods, and most I like and are available.  List of for me, as I omitted the one's I don't eat, or not really available in TH, or where I live.

You might want to take fish sauce off that list.  I started looking at labels for fish sauce.  The lowest I found was 1% sugar.   All the way up to 6% sugar.

 

I just try to avoid sugar, rice, bread, potatoes as much as possible.  Also Sriracha sauce is like 17% sugar. Try not to eat highly processed foods.

[owl sees all]

49 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Enjoy your life and eat what you want. We will all die. And at least I prefer to die happy with my favorite food.

We will all die for sure. But at least us slimsters will not be talked about and called a 'fat b@stard' when we are gone.

[OneMoreFarang]

42 minutes ago, BigStar said:

 

Happy, but probably earlier. Along with the food, your meds. Perhaps partially blind with one leg amputated already.

 

I do think our forum "short but happy life" advocates should, along with the fave food pics, be required to post pics of the meds as well and give the current dosages. Also informative would be some figures relating to yearly medical costs. 

It is up to each individual.

If you want to control your diet and be healthy and die 100 years old, fine, go ahead.

It's not what I want.

 

 

[OneMoreFarang]

2 minutes ago, owl sees all said:

We will all die for sure. But at least us slimsters will not be talked about and called a 'fat b@stard' when we are gone.

I couldn't care less what they call me when I am gone. Because I will be dead at that time. 

[Scouse123]

28 minutes ago, FolkGuitar said:

I've been following Keto for the past 5 years.

In the first year, I dropped from 115 kilos down to my goal of 72 kilos.

I've maintained 72+/- kilos for the last four years, while eating foods I enjoy, without a thought about reducing the amounts of those foods. Never feel hungry. Eat as much as I want of good, healthy vegetables, fresh fruit, nuts, cheese, breads, meats, chicken, fish, etc., and even have desserts when I want them. I eat in restaurants 6-10 times a week, just being careful what I select.  Annual health checks at Rajaveg tell me I'm still healthy.

It isn't that hard to be healthy.
Keto works, not as a diet, but as a lifestyle.
 

 

 

Well done on the weight loss and Keto.

 

How can you eat bread on the Keto though?

 

I get all the other stuff and I previously have been successful on Keto.

 

I go for annual health checks in Khonkaen, but they told me on the last visit that they don't like Keto or any diet that misses out on food groups.

 

I suppose it's a balancing act where you weigh up the benefits of weight loss, ( less stress on organs and body joints) to the levels of nutrients in the body.

[TroubleandGrumpy]

Exercise is total BS - this whole lose weight by exercising scam annoys me.  IMO 'physical activity' is NOT required to achieve or maintain a healthy weight. Certainly not sitting down all day is obvious, but all that is needed is to walk a bit every day and do a little bit of exercise. If all that BS was real, then all Thais would be fat - they dont walk much at all and just do basic physical stuff.  The issue and the only issue, especially for those over 40, is the type of foods and drinks consumed, and the amount consumed.

 

Eat mainly 'natural/good' foods, and dont consume much of the 'bad/processed' foods, and avoid the 'bad/processed' products so prevalent in food and drink available in the stores, and you will achieve/maintain a healthy weight - over time.  When I decided 15 years ago that enough was enough and I started this diet regime, I was astounded at how many things for sale in shops were 'bad'. It was worth it, and despite the occasional fall off the wagon, I am now consistantly over 20 kilos under what I was when I started. 

 

My regime is simple - and the first thing came from a mate who had a heart attack at 42. He was told to cut down the beer and to stop eating one big main meal a day. He was told to eat more small meals - that gives time for the body to process and absorb the amount. Eating a huge meal at night and then going to sleep is exactly the wrong thing to do. Eat fruits in the morning - and then have 2-3 small meals each day - no big ones. He also did other things, but he reckoned that not eating that one big dinner at night helped lose heaps of weight. I did that, and also I did not consume food or drink that has a long shelf life - cakes, coke, food bars, etc. I avoid as much as possible sugar and grass and salt.

 

Sugar is in many processed foods (and added by some Thais to food). It is impossible to totally avoid it (cuppa tea/coffee, etc etc) but it is needed by the body - but bring it down. Avoid over-consumption of salt - which is often combined with sugar and grass - such as in bread, cakes, etc. However, in Thailand salt is not as bad for mammals as it is in a colder climate where the loss of body water is not as high. Although, the local salt lacks Iodine and that is why so many of them have thyroid problems in later life - get salt with iodine and have a little now and then - but limit bacon and things extremely high in salt etc.

 

Grasses are very fattening. The animals that are the biggest mammals on the planet all eat grass. Avoid anything that has processed wheat, rice, corn etc. they are all cultivated grass crops - cheap and easy to make and easily concentrated. By all means eat it in is natural form (rice, corn) but not 'too much'.  Breads, Cakes, and long shelf life products are all made with processed concentrated grass as the main ingrediant - it is a massive fat gainer to mammals. Avoid as much as possible.

 

Lastly - drink lots of water - my favourite form of water is that light brown one with bubbles. Seriously though, beer has no sugar and has very little salt - but it is made from grass and alcohol is a stimulator of fat growth - especially in the liver.  But beer is 95% water and is it is far far better for you than coke and such drinks. Drink lots of water, moderate the beer, and dont drink any coke, fanta, etc.

 

Plus get a set of scales - so you actually know how much you weigh and you can see any changes. Every now and then I weigh myself and oiften it is 'ooops - time to cut down for 2 days'.  2 days of cutting it right down (being hungry) forces the body to consume the stored fats. Do not do that to extreme and not anymore than 2 days - or the body will think 'famine' and then when food arrives it will think 'quickly store as much as possible for the next famine'. Slowly and surely (quietly quietly) is the only way to catch the fat monkey. 

[KhunLA]

13 minutes ago, rwill said:

You might want to take fish sauce off that list.  I started looking at labels for fish sauce.  The lowest I found was 1% sugar.   All the way up to 6% sugar.

 

I just try to avoid sugar, rice, bread, potatoes as much as possible.  Also Sriracha sauce is like 17% sugar. Try not to eat highly processed foods.

I rarely use either, and usually only if making a sauce or marinade with them, which is really rare.   For spicy, I use powdered Cayenne pepper.  For salt flavor, well, just salt.  

 

I eliminated all 'added' sugar, and don't even put it in my bread.   Knowing I get plenty with my pastries or ice cream.  I prefer a little honey as a sweetener anyway.

[KhunLA]

1 minute ago, Scouse123 said:

Well done on the weight loss and Keto.

How can you eat bread on the Keto though?

 

I get all the other stuff and I previously have been successful on Keto.

 

I go for annual health checks in Khonkaen, but they told me on the last visit that they don't like Keto or any diet that misses out on food groups.

 

I suppose it's a balancing act where you weigh up the benefits of weight loss, ( less stress on organs and body joints) to the levels of nutrients in the body.

Don't use wheat flour.

[rwill]

1 minute ago, KhunLA said:

I eliminated all 'added' sugar, and don't even put it in my bread.   Knowing I get plenty with my pastries or ice cream.  I prefer a little honey as a sweetener anyway.

Allulose is a natural sugar that our bodies can't break down.  It's a lot more expensive than cane sugar though.  Not quite as sweet as cane sugar either, about 70% as sweet.

There is also Monk fruit sugar, expensive too.

You can find both on lazada.

[Ben Zioner]

33 minutes ago, owl sees all said:

But at least us slimsters will not be talked about and called a 'fat b@stard' when we are gone.

Some might call me a v$lture.

[Ben Zioner]

I had to look up Keto. Now I can see how this diet can be great for a failing Gallbladder.

[owl sees all]

46 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I couldn't care less what they call me when I am gone. Because I will be dead at that time. 

So negative and fatalistic.

[Dmaxdan]

59 minutes ago, TroubleandGrumpy said:

Exercise is total BS - this whole lose weight by exercising scam annoys me.  IMO 'physical activity' is NOT required to achieve or maintain a healthy weight. Certainly not sitting down all day is obvious, but all that is needed is to walk a bit every day and do a little bit of exercise. If all that BS was real, then all Thais would be fat - they dont walk much at all and just do basic physical stuff.  The issue and the only issue, especially for those over 40, is the type of foods and drinks consumed, and the amount consumed.

Exercise is total BS? In about a year I went from 83 kilos to 70 kilos purely by walking a minimum of 10,000 steps everyday. In all that time I have never changed my diet simply because it was fairly healthy anyway. It was just that as I got older my metabolism slowed down and before I knew where I was I was sporting a paunch. By walking I can allow myself to consume naughty things such as beer, in moderation when ever I please. I have never counted calories. 

What I will say is, joining expensive gyms is really rather pointless, unless for some reason you want to be a meatheaded, muscle bound superhero wannabe.

[BigStar]

1 hour ago, Scouse123 said:

I go for annual health checks in Khonkaen, but they told me on the last visit that they don't like Keto or any diet that misses out on food groups

 

Starches aren't a necessary food group. Keto does include veggies, and veggies, meat, fruits (berries) and dairy contain all the nutrients you need. I don't do keto but I follow low carb and it's been quite effective.

[Will B Good]

I see there's an organisation being set up for expats in Pattaya to address this problem.....they are calling it 'Fat Losers'....not too sure about the name though.

[BigStar]

8 minutes ago, Dmaxdan said:

What I will say is, joining expensive gyms is really rather pointless, unless for some reason you want to be a meatheaded, muscle bound superhero wannabe.

 

Resistance exercise is necessary for slowing the progression of muscle loss and sarcopenia, among other benefits, including cognitive.

 

It's hardly necessary to join a gym for it. Many home options exists. Needn't be time-consuming, either.

 

As for 10,000 steps, this may be of interest:

 

Forget walking 10,000 steps a day. Taking at least 50 steps up the stairs each day could significantly slash your risk of heart disease, according to a new study from Tulane University.

     --Walking more than five flights of stairs a day can cut risk of heart disease by 20%, study says

 

 

[TroubleandGrumpy]

33 minutes ago, Dmaxdan said:

Exercise is total BS? In about a year I went from 83 kilos to 70 kilos purely by walking a minimum of 10,000 steps everyday. In all that time I have never changed my diet simply because it was fairly healthy anyway. It was just that as I got older my metabolism slowed down and before I knew where I was I was sporting a paunch. By walking I can allow myself to consume naughty things such as beer, in moderation when ever I please. I have never counted calories. 

What I will say is, joining expensive gyms is really rather pointless, unless for some reason you want to be a meatheaded, muscle bound superhero wannabe.

100% agree about the gyms - which are a huge part of the exercise scam - they are for young men and wanna be women.  More walking is absolutely needed, but clearly that works only as long as you have a 'moderate diet'.  There is no doubt about walking increasing metabolism etc. but at a minimum it will only work as long as the diet is also a good one.  If you drank heaps of beer every day and ate nothing but Maccas and other take away, you will get fat even if you walked 10k a day. But walking a lot and eating well is the best thing for older blokes - we actually need some exercise and do better when we do it - women do not.  Women 'carry' wieight far better than us - they are designed that way.  Men do need a little exercise, but a good diet is far more important because we are not designed to carry too much excess weight. Most obese unhealthy men are over 100Kgs (like I was) - they are the target for my advice about changing their diet - walking/jogging 5-10ks a day while being 120kgs will probaby kill you - but eating far less khrap and lots of good stuff will make a huge difference.  Congrats on making it to 70 - I only made it to mid/late 70s - when/if I get to 80 I start to focus again (life too short and I am weak 🙂). 

[Walker88]

If one's greatest pleasure in life comes from satisfying a sweet tooth, then go for obesity.

 

If one gets pleasure from a wide range of things---such as looking good, being nimble and energetic, not having joint problems, not suffering from Type II diabetes, and being active enough so that one can eat pretty much as he likes, then fitness is a given.

 

Yes, it takes effort. Nothing in life is free. To enjoy good health into old age requires spending some time exercising, ideally in the gym. All the latest research shows just how important resistance training is. Muscles atrophy much slower, cognition stays solid longer, bone density declines slower, heart health is better, blood sugar remains in a good range, the body produces HGH and testosterone longer.

 

Up to you, as this is the only life one gets. Spend it how you wish.

[spidermike007]

2 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

 

 

Well done on the weight loss and Keto.

 

How can you eat bread on the Keto though?

 

I get all the other stuff and I previously have been successful on Keto.

 

I go for annual health checks in Khonkaen, but they told me on the last visit that they don't like Keto or any diet that misses out on food groups.

 

I suppose it's a balancing act where you weigh up the benefits of weight loss, ( less stress on organs and body joints) to the levels of nutrients in the body.

Asking anyone at a hospital for dietary advice would be something like asking blackpink for help with an advanced science project. 

 

Typical medical professionals know very little about diet.