Is Obesity a Very Serious Problem?

[RSD1]

When I first came to Thailand decades ago, I hardly ever saw anyone overweight in the hub of great food and habitual snackers. But over time, that has changed considerably.

 

The WHO, in 2011, published information about obesity by country in Southeast Asia, showing that 32.2% of the Thai population was already overweight (see the info graphic on the link below).

 

Now, according to a more recent study (on the same link below), Thailand’s obesity rate has already gotten much worse. A 2022 study revealed that the prevalence of overweight Thais and Thai obesity has reached 47.8%, up from 34.7% in 2016.

 

To me, those numbers are really staggering. It seems Thailand now has a major public health problem on its hands (in my non-expert opinion). Based on the climb from 32.2% in 2011 to 47.8% in 2022, it means obesity has risen at an average of about 3.66% per year over that 11-year period.

 

If this average rate continues then it suggests that the percentage of people who are now overweight or obese in Thailand in 2024 has already surpassed 50%, reaching a shocking 51.36%. Assuming this trend continues then by 2030 around 62.88% of the Thai population could be overweight or obese, assuming these calculations are correct and that the rate of annual increase in obesity continues at the same pace.

 

To me, this is disastrous. And if the rise continues, more and more people will suffer from diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease in Thailand than ever before. 

 

Meanwhile, there were hardly any gyms at all in Bangkok when I first came here and now they're everywhere, many are also open 24 hours. So a lot more people are exercising, at least a little bit anyway when they go to these places, but obviously it's not helping them very much. It's the worsening diet and the massive caloric surplus that so many are consuming that is causing this rapid increase in obesity.

 

Not to mention, the aesthetic appeal of the locals is declining rapidly too. I rarely see women with attractive faces and figures anymore, largely due to this growing obesity problem. It’s really saddening.

 

And it’s not just Thailand. This same trend is happening throughout Southeast Asia. Malaysia is in an even worse situation. Singapore is struggling too, and the Philippines isn’t far behind. I wonder where this is all leading and if it will greatly accelerate the mortality rate in Thailand over the next decade.
 

To me it would seem that Thailand is losing its edge as a place known for beautiful women in Southeast Asia too. For me personally, I find that I rarely see Thai women that even cause me to turn my head anymore.

 

https://www.thailand-business-news.com/asean/49065-thailand-ranks-second-asean-prevalence-obesity-mcot-net

[bkk6060]

Yes, seem to getting fatter and fatter especially kids.  Too much food consumption, social media and lack of exercise. Some want to blame it on western fast food, which is a problem.  But, one can easily get fat on Thai food, not always the healithiest choices either.

[RSD1]

1 minute ago, bkk6060 said:

Yes, seem to getting fatter and fatter especially kids.  Too much food consumption, social media and lack of exercise. Some want to blame it on western fast food, which is a problem.  But, one can easily get fat on Thai food, not always the healithiest choices either.

Indeed. But if you read the link I posted above then it also spells out all the dietary problems and causes. 

[FriscoKid]

Yes, a very serious problem. But think about the upshot from this. So many Thai women have bigger teets now. More to squeeeeeze!

[scubascuba3]

Yes if anyone needs further proof head to Soi 6 or Pattaya Beach road. The thing is the Thai ladies i speak to just don't understand why they are getting fat, also have no clue about diabetes, on the upside ti ts are on the rise

[RSD1]

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

Yes if anyone needs further proof head to Soi 6 or Pattaya Beach road. The thing is the Thai ladies i speak to just don't understand why they are getting fat, also have no clue about diabetes, on the upside ti ts are on the rise

Yes, most of them think it's part of the natural aging process. And most of them aren't aware of the amount of sugar in soft drinks, fruit juices, those bubble teas, and Thai food in general.
 

I think it's even hard for them to comprehend the fact that something that tastes so good and yummy could actually be so harmful to their health. Many assume that it's only the fried food that's the problem and the main dietary item that they need to avoid.
 

I once knew a Thai woman whose brother ended up in the ICU dying from complications related to diabetes and he was only in his early 30s. Basically it was his diet that was killing him, and he didn't even know it. He was eating roughly three bowls of noodles a day, dumped two heaping spoons of sugar into the broth, and then washed it down with a Pepsi each time. And that's what many people around him do as well too, so he never thought twice about it being dangerous.

 

Perhaps health and diet education is something that could help deal with the problem here a little bit. But if you can't change the way they drive on the roads, and reduce the number of the road deaths from 20,000+ a year down to something much lower, then I doubt there is any way to teach them any restraint when it comes to their dietary choices. 

[Lacessit]

1 hour ago, FriscoKid said:

Yes, a very serious problem. But think about the upshot from this. So many Thai women have bigger teets now. More to squeeeeeze!

Does every American have some kind of mommy complex, that they want outsized mammaries?

 

Simple fact: The bigger they are, the higher the risk of breast cancer.

 

Breast cancer was almost unknown in Japanese women, prior to WWII.

 

On topic: Obesity is most deadly in the elderly. The probability of Type 2 diabetes, stroke, and heart failure increases with every extra kilo.

 

Obesity rate in the USA = 36.5%. Obesity rate in Japan = 4.3%

 

USA average life expectancy = 78.7 years. In Japan, 84 years.

[BarBoy]

Yep, too many plumpers around these days, especially the women...

 

Thunder thighs r us!!

[RSD1]

5 minutes ago, BarBoy said:

Yep, too many plumpers around these days, especially the women...

 

Thunder thighs r us!!

Isn't it good though bob, when you're in a Soi 6 bar going short time, the music is so loud, and she has her thunder thighs wrapped around your head, drowning out all the noise?

[KhunLA]

to the title ... only if you're an idiot, can't control, or don't care about your weight and obese.

 

with exception to those that suffer a medical issue out of their control.

 

As always, never miss an opportunity to yank bash ... typical.  Surprise Trump was blamed for the obese world.

[Lacessit]

2 hours ago, RSD1 said:

When I first came to Thailand decades ago, I hardly ever saw anyone overweight in the hub of great food and habitual snackers. But over time, that has changed considerably.

 

The WHO, in 2011, published information about obesity by country in Southeast Asia, showing that 32.2% of the Thai population was already overweight (see the info graphic on the link below).

 

Now, according to a more recent study (on the same link below), Thailand’s obesity rate has already gotten much worse. A 2022 study revealed that the prevalence of overweight Thais and Thai obesity has reached 47.8%, up from 34.7% in 2016.

 

To me, those numbers are really staggering. It seems Thailand now has a major public health problem on its hands (in my non-expert opinion). Based on the climb from 32.2% in 2011 to 47.8% in 2022, it means obesity has risen at an average of about 3.66% per year over that 11-year period.

 

If this average rate continues then it suggests that the percentage of people who are now overweight or obese in Thailand in 2024 has already surpassed 50%, reaching a shocking 51.36%. Assuming this trend continues then by 2030 around 62.88% of the Thai population could be overweight or obese, assuming these calculations are correct and that the rate of annual increase in obesity continues at the same pace.

 

To me, this is disastrous. And if the rise continues, more and more people will suffer from diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease in Thailand than ever before. 

 

Meanwhile, there were hardly any gyms at all in Bangkok when I first came here and now they're everywhere, many are also open 24 hours. So a lot more people are exercising, at least a little bit anyway when they go to these places, but obviously it's not helping them very much. It's the worsening diet and the massive caloric surplus that so many are consuming that is causing this rapid increase in obesity.

 

Not to mention, the aesthetic appeal of the locals is declining rapidly too. I rarely see women with attractive faces and figures anymore, largely due to this growing obesity problem. It’s really saddening.

 

And it’s not just Thailand. This same trend is happening throughout Southeast Asia. Malaysia is in an even worse situation. Singapore is struggling too, and the Philippines isn’t far behind. I wonder where this is all leading and if it will greatly accelerate the mortality rate in Thailand over the next decade.
 

To me it would seem that Thailand is losing its edge as a place known for beautiful women in Southeast Asia too. For me personally, I find that I rarely see Thai women that even cause me to turn my head anymore.

 

https://www.thailand-business-news.com/asean/49065-thailand-ranks-second-asean-prevalence-obesity-mcot-net

I really have to question what cohort of the Thai population was sampled to achieve an obesity rate of 47.8%. That's much higher than America, the home of lardasses.

 

In my GF's village, most of the male Thais are skinny as rakes. They work hard, and can't afford Western food.

[RSD1]

2 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

I really have to question what cohort of the Thai population was sampled to achieve an obesity rate of 47.8%. That's much higher than America, the home of lardasses.

 

In my GF's village, most of the male Thais are skinny as rakes. They work hard, and can't afford Western food.

The few times a year that I ride the skytrain in Bangkok, I try and spend the time counting the number of locals that are overweight versus the number that are not overweight. I would say it is in the range of about 50%.
 

Sometimes what we consider overweight visually may also not be the true picture. Locals are small people to begin with and many of them are not very tall. So it's very easy for them to exceed a healthy BMI index without it being so obvious to the eye. 
 

Next time you are in a place in Thailand where there is a group of people for a sustained period of time, and they aren't coming or going, then try and do some counting yourself.

 

As the article says though, the problem is much higher in Bangkok than in the provinces. And Bangkok does account for around 15%-20% of the country's total population.

[RSD1]

16 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

They work hard, and can't afford Western food.

If they ate more Western food, they might be healthier and less overweight actually. It's all the rice and noodles and the sugar in the beverages that are all very calorically dense. There is also a lot of palm oil in the local cooking, which is also very calorically dense as well. Anything with coconut in it again is also calorically dense. And all those Thai deep-fried snacks like bananas and other types of fritters with corn and other stuff. Again, lots of calories. 

[BarBoy]

18 minutes ago, RSD1 said:

Isn't it good though bob, when you're in a Soi 6 bar going short time, the music is so loud, and she has her thunder thighs wrapped around your head, drowning out all the noise?

I never bang anything over 55kg.

 

Colin N.

[scubascuba3]

26 minutes ago, RSD1 said:

Yes, most of them think it's part of the natural aging process. And most of them aren't aware of the amount of sugar in soft drinks, fruit juices, those bubble teas, and Thai food in general.
 

I think it's even hard for them to comprehend the fact that something that tastes so good and yummy could actually be so harmful to their health. Many assume that it's only the fried food that's the problem and the main dietary item that they need to avoid.
 

I once knew a Thai woman whose brother ended up in the ICU dying from complications related to diabetes and he was only in his early 30s. Basically it was his diet that was killing him, and he didn't even know it. He was eating roughly three bowls of noodles a day, dumped two heaping spoons of sugar into the broth, and then washed it down with a Pepsi each time. And that's what many people around him do as well too, so he never thought twice about it being dangerous.

 

Perhaps health and diet education is something that could help deal with the problem here a little bit. But if you can't change the way they drive on the roads, and reduce the number of the road deaths from 20,000+ a year down to something much lower, then I doubt there is any way to teach them any restraint when it comes to their dietary choices. 

They/Asians get diabetes at lower body mass compared to dirty farang so they need to be even stricter with food than us.

 

I've adjusted the last couple years by liking women with cushion for the pushin, I'm much more adaptable now.

 

If they kept clear of 7 Eleven and junk food places that would help a lot

[RSD1]

Just now, BarBoy said:

I never bang anything over 55kg.

 

Colin N.

Ah, so you bring your pocket scale with you. Well done Bob S. 

[RSD1]

11 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

If they kept clear of 7 Eleven and junk food places that would help a lot

That is very true too. And even if the ones in the provinces have no access to Western food, there is plenty of high calorie junk and processed foods containing trans fats, and other calorically rich stuff that quickly packs on the kilos. 
 

Some of those instant noodle packages, the larger ones, can have as much as nearly 500 calories in one pack. If they eat two of those a day, and wash it down with some sort of sweet, sugary drink, then that alone could be close to 2000 calories a day. If you're a person that only weighs 50 kg then that would be a high caloric surplus.

[BarBoy]

6 minutes ago, RSD1 said:

Ah, so you bring your pocket scale with you. Well done Bob S. 

Maybe all you can get is the plumpers,  rsd,  but I can get better.

 

It's all about the size of my wallet and my penis.

 

You can but dream!

[Ralf001]

plumpers are more open to devious play.

[RSD1]

1 minute ago, BarBoy said:

Maybe all you can get is the plumpers

But it's good value for money, bob. Two for the price of one. You see, it's all about perception.

[RSD1]

1 minute ago, BarBoy said:

It's all about the size of my wallet and my penis.

Yup, big wallet and small penis. It goes a long way in Thailand. Well done bob. 

 

I often suffer a surcharge because of the large size of my third leg.

[KannikaP]

2 hours ago, FriscoKid said:

Yes, a very serious problem. But think about the upshot from this. So many Thai women have bigger teets now. More to squeeeeeze!

Don't talk silly. The bigger 'milks' are because more Falang boyfriends are paying for the silicone.

[BarBoy]

7 minutes ago, RSD1 said:

I often suffer a surcharge because of the large size of my third leg.

....and then you woke up and ate your breakfast!!

[scubascuba3]

10 minutes ago, RSD1 said:

That is very true too. And even if the ones in the provinces have no access to Western food, there is plenty of high calorie junk and processed foods containing trans fats, and other calorically rich stuff that quickly packs on the kilos. 
 

Some of those instant noodle packages, the larger ones, can have as much as nearly 500 calories in one pack. If they eat two of those a day, and wash it down with some sort of sweet, sugary drink, then that alone could be close to 2000 calories a day. If you're a person that only weighs 50 kg then that would be a high caloric surplus.

On a cycle stop yesterday an old lady 75+, slim, looked healthy, was about to eat her lunch, big portion of rice, some curry sauce with chillies and veg lettuce, cabbage, cucumber, all that very healthy and filling. Look to see what healthy slim people are eating

[scubascuba3]

2 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

Don't talk silly. The bigger 'milks' are because more Falang boyfriends are paying for the silicone.

Silicone makes them worthless in my view, but i agree on more big milks about 

[OneMoreFarang]

3 hours ago, RSD1 said:

For me personally, I find that I rarely see Thai women that even cause me to turn my head anymore.

They still exist. But we all get used to lots of pretty women. Just go to the UK or so for a day. And then you will realize how many women in Thailand look good - compared to other places.

 

About obesity in general. Some of us just like nice food and drinks. And for some of us we only gained weight when we got older. A little more, and a little more, and a little more. And then it's a question of the motivation to lose weight. The general "do that for your health" is often not a strong enough reason. Don't ask me how I know... 

[RSD1]

4 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

On a cycle stop yesterday an old lady 75+, slim, looked healthy, was about to eat her lunch, big portion of rice, some curry sauce with chillies and veg lettuce, cabbage, cucumber, all that very healthy and filling. Look to see what healthy slim people are eating

A lot of it has to do with the sedentary lifestyle too of the younger generation. And a woman who is 75 years old, probably has been eating and living the same sort of active lifestyle, her whole life. So all the dietary changes that occurred in Thailand over the last 30 years or so for the next generation probably haven't affected her in any negative way.

[RSD1]

13 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

They still exist. But we all get used to lots of pretty women. Just go to the UK or so for a day. And then you will realize how many women in Thailand look good - compared to other places.

 

About obesity in general. Some of us just like nice food and drinks. And for some of us we only gained weight when we got older. A little more, and a little more, and a little more. And then it's a question of the motivation to lose weight. The general "do that for your health" is often not a strong enough reason. Don't ask me how I know... 

 

Yes, we can sit around and complain about the aesthetics of obesity or that it's one person's own choice what they want to do with themselves. But it's so much more than that. It's turning into a large Public Health crisis that I think, 10 years from now, the government will be struggling to deal with. It's gonna put a lot of extra unnecessary financial strain on the healthcare system. Obesity levels in Thailand has far surpassed Western countries now. Statistically, obesity in the UK is actually also relatively fairly low.

[KannikaP]

10 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

On a cycle stop yesterday an old lady 75+, slim, looked healthy, was about to eat her lunch, big portion of rice, some curry sauce with chillies and veg lettuce, cabbage, cucumber, all that very healthy and filling. Look to see what healthy slim people are eating

The big portion of 'white' rice will not help keep slim or be very nutritious, but hey, they've been eating it for centuries.

[RSD1]

1 minute ago, KannikaP said:

The big portion of 'white' rice will not help keep slim or be very nutritious, but hey, they've been eating it for centuries.

It just depends on the number of calories in and calories out. Some people can eat a large portion of white rice and not put on weight if they're extremely active. It doesn't make the rice healthy, or nutritious, but it may not make them fat if they have a high metabolism and do enough to burn it off.