You might think it’s either heart attack, stroke, cancer, diabetes, or respiratory illness, but it’s not that straight forward.

 

Here’s another question. Does it have anything to do with cannabis, methamphetamine, opiates, alcohol, or cigarettes?

 

Most people wouldn’t guess it, but smoking takes the number one spot, and alcohol comes in second on the two leading causes of death in Thailand.

 

Technically, cigarettes and alcohol don’t kill people directly, but they are behind the three actual leading causes of death in Thailand which are heart disease, cancer, and respiratory diseases.

 

Don't believe it? Take a look on the Wikipedia page about Health in Thailand:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_in_Thailand

 

Scroll down to the section titled “Soft Drugs.”

Prolly of no concern to anyone here. I know for a fact that nobody on AN smokes or drinks anything. 

Is it smoking or is it air pollution? i suspect air pollution

Pretty much the same everywhere. Heart diseases, diabetes, stroke, cirrhosis, kidney disease cancers. Cancer likely the top one, brought about more then the usual by eating the raw fish. Strokes followed by heart disease.

Sugar (excess), is the demon  IMHO

 

As cancer cells feed on the oxidation of glucose to grow.   Medical examples of cutting sugars, has shrunk cancer cells down small enough, that surgery was then possible to perform, especially with brain cancer.

 

Sugar causing diabetes, obesity, and a host of health issues.   Alcohol = sugar 

 

 

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9775518/

 

Average life expectancy is still 76, 81 for females, not far behind most western countries. The USA, with all it's money, is only 78. So despite all it's problems Thailand is not doing so bad. What good is an extra 2 years in the nursing home?

4 minutes ago, henryford1958 said:

Average life expectancy is still 76, 81 for females, not far behind most western countries. The USA, with all it's money, is only 78. So despite all it's problems Thailand is not doing so bad. What good is an extra 2 years in the nursing home?

If you've been taking care of yourself all your life, there doesn't have to be a nursing home.

Its not hard to figure out. Humans live longer with clean air to breathe

14 hours ago, Kyoto Kyle said:

 

Here’s another question. Does it have anything to do with cannabis, methamphetamine, opiates, alcohol, or cigarettes?

 

Alcohol is much worse for health than we have been told and that most people realize.

 

It damages all the cells in the body. It damages the DNA. It's nasty stuff and we all think it's normal to have a drink or two every day. 

 

 

4 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

 

Alcohol is much worse for health than we have been told and that most people realize.

 

It damages all the cells in the body. It damages the DNA. It's nasty stuff and we all think it's normal to have a drink or two every day. 

 

 

Moderate wine use, especially reds, has been shown to help with health. The Blue Zone people , who live the longest on average, are wine drinkers. A glass a day is very low, and isn't likely to cause any damage. The question is, can a persons stop at one glass................https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/in-depth/red-wine/art-20048281

3 hours ago, Kyoto Kyle said:

You might think it’s either heart attack, stroke, cancer, diabetes, or respiratory illness, but it’s not that straight forward.

It's straight forward. 

 

NCDs such as heart disease and stroke, cancer, diabetes and chronic lung diseases are the predominant killers in Thailand causing an estimated 354,000 deaths each year (or 71% of all deaths). Moreover, NCDs are a huge economic burden costing the Thai society an estimated THB 280 billion in 2013. Behavioral risk factors for NCDs (tobacco use, insufficient physical activity, harmful use of alcohol and unhealthy diet) and metabolic risk factors (raised blood pressure, overweight/obesity, raised cholesterol and raised blood sugar) are highly prevalent in the Thai population.

 

https://www.who.int/thailand/our-work/NCDs?

22 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

 

Alcohol is much worse for health than we have been told and that most people realize.

 

It damages all the cells in the body. It damages the DNA. It's nasty stuff and we all think it's normal to have a drink or two every day. 

 

 

Indeed. Alcohol is very bad for one's heath.   

1 hour ago, henryford1958 said:

Average life expectancy is still 76, 81 for females, not far behind most western countries. The USA, with all it's money, is only 78. So despite all it's problems Thailand is not doing so bad. What good is an extra 2 years in the nursing home?

 

That's where your generalization fails. A 78 year old can still be very active and independent. If you can stay fit into your 60's, chances are you will be  ambulatory  in your 80's too. It's the men who smoke and drink heavily and who are inactive who lose their  physical independence as they age.

This guy lives in the sticks.

Alcohol is one reason I could never live out there.

Endless cultural events and parties with the local moonshine and you can't say no because everyone in the village will hate you. 

 

 

1 hour ago, save the frogs said:

 

Alcohol is much worse for health than we have been told and that most people realize.

 

It damages all the cells in the body. It damages the DNA. It's nasty stuff and we all think it's normal to have a drink or two every day. 

 

 

 

So if we didn't drink alcohol we would all live to 100? yeah right. Is life expentancy in Muslim, non alcohol drinking societies, any longer?

7 minutes ago, henryford1958 said:

 

So if we didn't drink alcohol we would all live to 100? yeah right. Is life expentancy in Muslim, non alcohol drinking socities, any longer?

 

Probably one of the best indicators as it eradicates many confounding factors...................

 

Seventh-day Adventists in California live 4–10 years longer than the average American, partly due to abstaining from alcohol, tobacco, and meat 

11 hours ago, henryford1958 said:

 

So if we didn't drink alcohol we would all live to 100? yeah right. Is life expentancy in Muslim, non alcohol drinking societies, any longer?

 

Good question. Does not appear to be the case.

So keep drinking, I guess. 

 

Israel is highest in Middle East, but same as most Western countries.

 

Alcohol I guess, at least among expats. In the larger Thai society, maybe diabetes related stuff, given the trend towards western style diets. Speaking personally, the Thai girls and guys I know seem to be dropping off ftom cancer. It's a bit weird. Maybe it was masked by the early death most of these guys and gals would've suffered in earlier times.

2 hours ago, save the frogs said:

 

Alcohol is much worse for health than we have been told and that most people realize.

 

It damages all the cells in the body. It damages the DNA. It's nasty stuff and we all think it's normal to have a drink or two every day. 

 

 

 

I have started on the wine already, am I bovvered tho?

The sudden stop after falling from a seventh floor balcony??

5 hours ago, Kyoto Kyle said:

What’s the leading health related cause of death in Thailand?

Stroke and heart disease. Watch what you put in your body, just because it looks, taste, smells good and seems like fun doesn’t mean it won’t kill you.

2 minutes ago, novacova said:

Watch what you put in your body, just because it looks, taste, smells good and seems like fun doesn’t mean it won’t kill you.

 

Is that what you tell all the girls?

3 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

 

Is that what you tell all the girls?

You mean told, those days are long gone though they all waddle walk like ducks now.

I think I qualify to give some advice here. Firstly I'm now 80 yo and I've lived in Thailand for the past 25 years. I played many sports up till I was 35 yo. I gave up smoking 2 years before that. I was very over weight drinking far to much booze so I got myself fit and at 40 years of age I ran 4 marathons in 2 years. So my advice is to give the smokes up now before it's to late. Walk as much as possible, eat sensibly and have a few quiet days on the booze in your hotel room. Unlike many farangs I soon realised that you must make a decision that could effect your lifes longevity. Make your mind up are you an expat or a tourist, if you're an expat living the life of a tourist you're destined to fall off the perch. The most dangerous group are 60 yo and over who still believe they can handle the pussy and piss like we all did on our first trips to Pattaya.

14 minutes ago, Mason45 said:

I think I qualify to give some advice here. Firstly I'm now 80 yo and I've lived in Thailand for the past 25 years. I played many sports up till I was 35 yo. I gave up smoking 2 years before that. I was very over weight drinking far to much booze so I got myself fit and at 40 years of age I ran 4 marathons in 2 years. So my advice is to give the smokes up now before it's to late. Walk as much as possible, eat sensibly and have a few quiet days on the booze in your hotel room. Unlike many farangs I soon realised that you must make a decision that could effect your lifes longevity. Make your mind up are you an expat or a tourist, if you're an expat living the life of a tourist you're destined to fall off the perch. The most dangerous group are 60 yo and over who still believe they can handle the pussy and piss like we all did on our first trips to Pattaya.

My best advise who are not yet 60 who retired at 47, now semi retired: live every day like you would do home while working. Have weekdays, weekends and holidays,  nothing should change because you are moving to Thailand 

At least thinking like an healthy Scandinavian and Scandinavian healthy living. 

 

 

 

You nailed it mate.

3 hours ago, Mason45 said:

and have a few quiet days on the booze in your hotel room.

Bad idea. Disagree. Alcohol is toxic. Any amount is bad. A few days drinking in your hotel room is even worse. 
 

3 hours ago, Mason45 said:

The most dangerous group are 60 yo and over who still believe they can handle the pussy and piss like we all did on our first trips to Pattaya.

Nothing wrong at all with the pussy part. Should never stop that. As much as possible. Helps keep your testosterone levels up, a good source of HIIT cardio, and great for the hip thrusters. 

20 hours ago, henryford1958 said:

Average life expectancy is still 76, 81 for females, not far behind most western countries. The USA, with all it's money, is only 78. So despite all it's problems Thailand is not doing so bad. What good is an extra 2 years in the nursing home?

Is that the life expectancy at birth, or the life expectancy in your 60s?   If you live to 60, the expectancy for males is 81 and 84 for females. 

 

https://www.ssa.gov/oact/STATS/table4c6.html