My observation is that Thais that live in the vicinity of a McDonalds are thinner than those who live without a McDonalds in their city. Obesity is a worldwide problem and just as deadly to the rural poor as to the urban dwellers.

Well if we are talking about Thailand's fat chidren it ha very little to with fat food outlets, first if yuo r Issan person it's expensive compared to Thai food. So it's a treat for most not a daily activity. If it were you would already see one by every Som Tom stall.

Udon has no Mickey Dees, plently of chubby children around. One of the problems I see is these people think extremly chubby baby's is a sign of being healthy. Remember you can reduce the size of a fat cells but you can't reduce the number of them. How far does that go I have lost 32 lbs that I gained after coming here. How did I do it I don't eat the portions my wife gives me. She meant well she was showing the world how well she took care of me. Really got upset if I didn't eat enough for three people. What finally mde the differenece a doctor told her that the weight was a part of my back problems. A few friends around had heart attacks. Started getting her attention. She has not changed the portions but doesn't get insulted if I don't eat it all. Our dogs are now fat, not good either.

Have you ever though about how most Thai foods beyond Nooden is prepared, most are fried in oil, served over rice. The Konums are delicious but you might as well eat a hand full of suger. Fried bannanas a delight but I see heck of a lot more grease on them then any burger I have a ever ate.

So I think it's a real far stretch to blame the fat explosion on Mc. Donalds. You know there are many places in Udon to get a cheese burger and fries. But, you don't see many Thai's eating them.

Like most I would like to see a Burger King here, why because you can get a milk shake with your burger and fries, not because it's healthy. There is a Mickey Dee's in Khan Kean if I need a fix which may happen twice a year, I get a bike ride and lunch. What I see in this thread is a lot of piltically correct answers here that don't really apply to the real situation we live in, in Issan.

Sorry guys lifestyles are changing in Thailand due to better education's. A person who works on a farm or in construction can eat any darn thing they want without gaining weight. But ,someone setting behind a sales counter or in front of a computer can't. A kid that is out on his bike all day won't get fat. Kids sitting in front of computers playing video games are more likely to gain weight.

There are several gyms in Udon, some very inexpensive to use. Someone shows up our house from the nieghborhood at least once a wekk with the latest thing to loose weight, my wife weighs a whopping 85 Lbs. she might eat a burger once every three months. So I don't think 20 more fast food resturants are going to change much.

You want to know why fast foods do so well in the sates. try this for a lifestyle. Work at non active job 12 hours a day with a two hour commute home at night. You going to eat dinner pull into the drive through consume yuor dinner sitting in traffic. Now you might see that in Bangkok, but not Udon.

A usual the approach is to attack the symbol not the real problem

Well if we are talking about Thailand's fat chidren it ha very little to with fat food outlets, first if yuo r Issan person it's expensive compared to Thai food. So it's a treat for most not a daily activity. If it were you would already see one by every Som Tom stall.

Udon has no Mickey Dees, plently of chubby children around. One of the problems I see is these people think extremly chubby baby's is a sign of being healthy. Remember you can reduce the size of a fat cells but you can't reduce the number of them. How far does that go I have lost 32 lbs that I gained after coming here. How did I do it I don't eat the portions my wife gives me. She meant well she was showing the world how well she took care of me. Really got upset if I didn't eat enough for three people. What finally mde the differenece a doctor told her that the weight was a part of my back problems. A few friends around had heart attacks. Started getting her attention. She has not changed the portions but doesn't get insulted if I don't eat it all. Our dogs are now fat, not good either.

Have you ever though about how most Thai foods beyond Nooden is prepared, most are fried in oil, served over rice. The Konums are delicious but you might as well eat a hand full of suger. Fried bannanas a delight but I see heck of a lot more grease on them then any burger I have a ever ate.

So I think it's a real far stretch to blame the fat explosion on Mc. Donalds. You know there are many places in Udon to get a cheese burger and fries. But, you don't see many Thai's eating them.

Like most I would like to see a Burger King here, why because you can get a milk shake with your burger and fries, not because it's healthy. There is a Mickey Dee's in Khan Kean if I need a fix which may happen twice a year, I get a bike ride and lunch. What I see in this thread is a lot of piltically correct answers here that don't really apply to the real situation we live in, in Issan.

Sorry guys lifestyles are changing in Thailand due to better education's. A person who works on a farm or in construction can eat any darn thing they want without gaining weight. But ,someone setting behind a sales counter or in front of a computer can't. A kid that is out on his bike all day won't get fat. Kids sitting in front of computers playing video games are more likely to gain weight.

There are several gyms in Udon, some very inexpensive to use. Someone shows up our house from the nieghborhood at least once a wekk with the latest thing to loose weight, my wife weighs a whopping 85 Lbs. she might eat a burger once every three months. So I don't think 20 more fast food resturants are going to change much.

You want to know why fast foods do so well in the sates. try this for a lifestyle. Work at non active job 12 hours a day with a two hour commute home at night. You going to eat dinner pull into the drive through consume yuor dinner sitting in traffic. Now you might see that in Bangkok, but not Udon.

A usual the approach is to attack the symbol not the real problem

Does all this mean that the wifes lovely choccy cake is off the menu Ray.

Oh heck no. But, the majority is sent to the housekeeper house for her children. No I still have my homade cake, cookies and pies. Have mexican food at least twice a week. Still have steak and mashed potaoes. American Breakfast. Burgers with fries at hiome. Just don't eat as much a before LOL

actually didn't change my diest at all just the portions.

PORTION SIZE. I do not think this is off topic at all, but we can start another thread about it. Mike's Burgers here in Chiang Mai reduced their burger size slightly, maybe 20%. They were accused of halving it, or some such sacrilege. Actually, the original size was too huge, and I am a big eater. Here at home, I have given up trying to make my partner cook me half of what he cooks. The dog gets fat. It is a waste of good food. Can you guess who makes the biggest burgers in Houston, Texas? Thais.

I go to McDonald's about once every two weeks--I just have to have an occasional fix. The thing is I never have soda with my burger and fries, only water (I don't like soda). And although I like the double cheeseburger, it's always a small fries. I have also learned that if your full, you just throw the rest away (or take it home for the dog). Learned that with Beer too--it's not against the law not to eat or drink absolutely everything!

As for the supposedly 'healthy' Thai diet, I beg to differ. Where I work, absolutely everything is fried in the most grease available. If you want 'western' food it's a deep-fat fried hot dog--they don't boil them. The rice is whiter than Christmas snow, the curry is laden with grease and the 'fruit' juice is so sweet I really don't think if it were properly cooled that the surgar would remain dissolved.

Yes, the vegetables and fruit are good, but the veggies are so often fried as well. I do much better with a western type diet (supplemented some of the absolutely excellent fruit here). I ate Thai food for about a year and ended up gaining a lot of weight. Switched and I've lost weight. Some this might be psychological, but once I have meat, I am satisfied. It doesn't take a lot of meat by the way.

I know about the dangers of trans-fats, I don't eat my bovine brothers and sisters.

If they open one in C.Rai, I'll go for the fries.

This is another nail in the coffin of healthy food in Thailand.

Thai food may be a lot of things, but it's not healthy. slathered with oil and fats, doused with all sorts of questionable sauces and spices and MSG. Nearly nothing is fresh (maybe a few slices of cucumber if you're lucky). Nearly nothing organic, including the rice. tiny salads with large dollops of dressing plopped on top. cooked eggs so oily, all you taste is the oil. shall I go on? People who wipe (in the WC) with their fingers - preparing your meals.

Even in Mexico, I never saw so much mayonnaise. And, much like Mexicans, Thais deep-fry when a teensy bit of healthy oil would do the trick. Do they also use lard? How lean is the pork? How salty and sugary are the sauces? Is all that chilli really healthy?

Yes, Burger King is better, with char-broiled. But you can fry hamburgers and drain the fat. You can buy leaner beef. You can use whole grain breads. You can use ketchup made from tomatoes.

What they really need to open is a "Wendy's".....

I'd second that. Meantime, there is the White Spot Triple O at Central World (Bangkok) 6th or 7th floor - forget which - very good burgers - and breakfast sandwiches - not to mention the coffee - with MILK!!

Even in Mexico, I never saw so much mayonnaise. And, much like Mexicans, Thais deep-fry when a teensy bit of healthy oil would do the trick. Do they also use lard? How lean is the pork? How salty and sugary are the sauces? Is all that chilli really healthy?

Yes, Burger King is better, with char-broiled. But you can fry hamburgers and drain the fat. You can buy leaner beef. You can use whole grain breads. You can use ketchup made from tomatoes.

Yep - seen any skinny Mexican girls (or guys PB) ? Not many.. - claro.

If ever I open an Issan restaurant I plan to call it McSidars. Any menu suggestions ?

e.g. Big Som Dtam

Pala Burger

etc.