Thai People Gets Taller, Fatter, More Tubular

[george]

New survey finds average Thais taller, fatter, more tubular

BANGKOK: -- Thailand’s first standard body size chart has been unveiled to the public on Wednesday, with Thai people developing bigger sizes and shapes than the past generation.

The National Electronics and Computer Technology Center (NECTEC), under the Ministry of Science and Technology, announced its team of 11 researchers has successfully developed Thai standard size chart under the two-year programme called ‘SizeThailand’.

Dr. Chularat Tanprasert, who initiates the SizeThailand programme, said researchers have collated the average size of 13,442 Thai men and women of different age group across the country by using advanced 3D Body Scanning technology.

The research found that Thai men have grown more than seven centimetre taller and about 12 kilometre fatter, while Thai women have grown five centimetre taller and about five and a half kilogrammes fatter compared to 25 years ago. ‘Thai women’s waistline has also ballooned by 3.7 inches, bottom grown by 2 inches and chest expanded by 2.2 inches,’ said Dr. Chularat.

The fact that Thai men and women have developed significantly bigger chests, waists and bottoms, means the shape of the average Thai has also changed. In particular, Dr. Chularat noted, the women have become more tubular and have less of the traditional hourglass shape.

Meanwhile, Minister of Science and Technology Dr. Kalaya Sophonpanich said the findings will help Thai fashion, furniture and automobile industries design products which better suit the typical Thai physical standard and adopt more effective stockpile management strategies.

Dr. Kalaya added that the SizeThailand programme also gives advantages to medical experts to apply data analysing specific health risks associated with the patient’s physique.

The minister noted Thailand is the fifth country, after the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Japan respectively, to have used Three Dimensional (3D) Body Scanning technology to collate data on their population to develop typical standard body size chart for the benefits of the local industries.

SizeThai (acronym TH) consists of nine sizes for men: TH 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, and 46m while there are 10 sizes for women: TH 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40,c42, 44 and 46. The majority of Thai men size are TH 40, while women are TH 36.

-- TNA 2009-02-25

[Boksida]

New survey finds average Thais taller, fatter, more tubular

The research found that Thai men have grown more than seven centimetre taller and about 12 kilometre fatter,

I don't feel so bad now.

[ballpoint]

New survey finds average Thais taller, fatter, more tubular

The research found that Thai men have grown more than seven centimetre taller and about 12 kilometre fatter,

I don't feel so bad now.

That's some waistline!

[Ijustwannateach]

Whether it's from the point of view of science, math, or English- I continue to feel great job security when I see articles like this one...

Anyway, it's a natural result of changes in diet- though I wonder how the sampling was done, and whether they are looking mainly at Bangkok people? Are people out in farmland areas really changing that much, too?

[george]

Goodbye hourglass, hello tube

Thai women's body shape has altered |dramatically in the last 30 years, with waistlines ballooning, says research

Over the past 27 years, Thai women's body shape has changed dramatically. They are now taller, heavier and have bigger waistlines.

According to extensive research, the average height of women under 50 years old has shot up five centimetres while their weight has jumped 5.4 kilograms.

Their waistlines have on average ballooned 3.7 inches and hips and breast circumference have increased by 2 and 2.2 inches respectively.

The research used 3D-scanning technology to measure the size and shape of 13,442 Thais. It was found that the average weight for women is 57kgs, the average height 156.89cms, the average waistline 31.5 inches, average breast circumference 36 inches and average hips 38 inches.

"The fact that women's waistlines have grown almost twice as much as their chests and bottoms means that the shape of the average Thai women has changed," Dr Pansak Siriruchatapong said. Not only have women become bigger, they have also become more cylindrical and have less of the traditional hourglass shape."

Thai men below 50 years of age have an average weight of 68.94kgs, average height of 169.38cms, average chest circumference of 39.1 inches, average waistline of 33.5 inches and average hip circumference of 37.4 inches.

When compared with 1982 data, Thai men are now 7.2cms taller and 11.4kg heavier. Their chest circumference has also expanded by 5.4 inches, their waistline by 4 inches, and hips by 3.4 inches.

Based on the Body Mass Index (BMI), 36.21 per cent of Thai men fall within the "normal" category, 58.43 per cent are overweight, and 5.36 per cent are underweight. For Thai women, 42.26 per cent are "normal", 48.05 per cent are overweight, and 9.69 per cent are underweight.

-- The Nation 2009-02-25

[ovenman]

Tubular belles?

[Bagwan]

Are people out in farmland areas really changing that much, too?

Given the Thai order or things I doubt if anyones knows or cares. The only thing of concern to the powers that be about the great unwashed is not whether their shirts fit, but whether they are red or yellow.

[BugJackBaron]

Sorry to be a grammar nazi but it should read:

Thai People Are Getting Taller, Fatter, More Tubular.

The use of the present progressive is mandated here.

Posts from Thaivisa News should be up to newspaper standards.

Edited February 25, 2009 by BugJackBaron

[samuibeachcomber]

expensive survey,could have just gone round the girlie bars to have realised their findings..................thank you KFC,BURGER KING,MACCAS,PIZZA HUT.

[Chaimai]

Posts from Thaivisa News should be up to newspaper standards.

Thai newspaper standards, chaimai ?

[TAWP]

Posts from Thaivisa News should be up to newspaper standards.

Thai newspaper standards, chaimai ?

And since it is a copied headline usually, it is up to Thai News standard?

Edit: Men: '58.43 per cent are overweight'. Jeez...

Edited February 25, 2009 by TAWP

[Lorin]

"less of the traditional hourglass shape" you must be kidding me, Thai women and hourglass shape...:-)

[grandpops]

Sorry to be a grammar nazi but it should read:

Thai People Are Getting Taller, Fatter, More Tubular.

The use of the present progressive is mandated here.

Posts from Thaivisa News should be up to newspaper standards.

Even non grammar nazis are thinking it should be "are becoming"! Adolf

Try reading for meaning. It makes much more sense and you learn much more once the blinkers are off.

[dumball]

"less of the traditional hourglass shape" you must be kidding me, Thai women and hourglass shape...:-)

It seems not too many know about , or have heard of , the likes of Marilyn Munroe or Ginger Rogers , now there was a handfull if I ever saw one , Thai ladies do not have so much 'Shape ' going for them , mostly on the skinney side , especialy when you take away the padded bra so many wear . Thai have cut back on rice consumption and gone more for western style foods , they seem to suffer the consequences rather quickly .

[exexpat]

An awful lot of thai women and men are overweight. Just look at the food vendors women, and tuk-tuk/motorcycle driver men. Modern fried and fast food has taken its toll on Thailand. I think a lot of it has to do with not just fried meat but also 7-11 food. Most thai food nowadays, whether market or store bought, is overloaded with sugar and fat. But also, thais use cars and motorcycles much more often that before, and have since ditched bicycles. Add the fact that people have moved to provincial capitals and Bangkok, and don't till the rice fields anymore. All this adds up to a lot of pounds. In cities, the Thai culture and weather such that walking is not popular. I have been in Thailand less than 10 years, but have noticed a HUGE change, but certainly not kilometers. HEHE

Of course compared to Farang, thais are still skinny overall. But compared to Japanese, Thais are not so skinny anymore.

Edited February 25, 2009 by exexpat

[Nerone]

What about the brain size? Is it improving too?

[mc2]

thankfully still a long way to go before they become the body shape of the fat asses mommas of the US.

[bunnaag]

my wife said that in the past the farmers did not use so much fertilizer and no chemicals to feed the animals.Therefore it is only natural that the people nowadays also grow bigger with all the fertilizers and chemicals they consume with the food.

[ignis]

It is the same most places..

I'm taller than my Father, he was taller then his Father.

Go into any old normal workers house/cottage in the Uk I cannot stand up straight I'm, 6'2", as a teenager I was tall not so now a day, so 150 odd years ago most people must have been under 5'5"

[Thai at Heart]

First standard chart. So these stats are not in accurate relation to anything that was accurately measured before.

Of course people are getting taller and wider, but just like most surveys in Thailand, the data is all screwed up.

[bonobo]

Tubular belles?

I love Mike Oldfield, but his tubular bells is a little better than yours!

(nice post, by-the-way)

[Scott]

I see very few Thais who eat a 'western' diet and even fewer who eat western fast foods. I do see a lot of people, who now that they have more money, stuff themselves and their kids with large amounts of greasy food--still Thai food--but a lot more oil in it than years past--and some really sweet, surgary snacks and drinks.

One of the first things that happen when a society gets richer is that it gets fatter.

Here, in Thailand, when I first arrived, I towered over everyone and weighed quite a bit more. When I took a motorcycle taxi, I had to be careful not to shift my weight because it sent the thing flying in a different direction. I could also look over the driver's head easily. Now, I can hop around back there as much as I want because the driver is about the same size.

Since a lot of these people come from up country, it seems they have grown as well.

[jim4pim]

New survey finds average Thais taller, fatter, more tubular

The research found that Thai men have grown more than seven centimetre taller and about 12 kilometre fatter,

I don't feel so bad now.

That's some waistline!

Agree, how much for a round trip??? 12kms OMG dam_n u Svenson icecream forever

[BugJackBaron]

Sorry to be a grammar nazi but it should read:

Thai People Are Getting Taller, Fatter, More Tubular.

The use of the present progressive is mandated here.

Posts from Thaivisa News should be up to newspaper standards.

Even non grammar nazis are thinking it should be "are becoming"! Adolf

Try reading for meaning. It makes much more sense and you learn much more once the blinkers are off.

I was being generous Gramps. Of course I read for meaning - otherwise many posts would be 

unreadable

[Duangta]

McThai to invest Bt600m on up to 17 mew outlets

By KWANCHAI RUNGFAPAISARN

THE NATION

Published on February 4, 2009

McThai, the local franchisee for McDonald's hamburger restaurants, will this year invest Bt600 million on opening another 15 to 17 outlets.

The investment strategy is in line with the company's vision set at the end of 2006, under which McThai will triple the points of distribution for McDonald's to about 300 by 2011.

The company also wants to maintain double-digit same-store growth.

"While reshaping our marketing strategy to cope better with the current economic difficulties, our investment strategy will be the same," said Hester Chew, chairman of the executive committee and chief executive at McThai.

Chew said McThai had invested about Bt400 million last year on opening 15 restaurants. The company operates 116 McDonald's outlets locally and the 117th store will open on February 26 at Sukhapiban 1 in Bangkok.

"We will open between 15 and 17 new stores this year as planned, mainly in Bangkok," he said.

The company operates 14 drive-through outlets, mainly in Bangkok and some tourist destinations. Another seven or eight drive-through stores will be opened this year, said the CEO.

"We also expect growth at 30 per cent this year, which is higher than last year when the company posted revenue growth of 20 per cent. Our same-store growth was about 13 per cent last year," said Chew.

Chew said the overall Thai quick-service restaurant market was estimated to have grown by between 8 and 9 per cent last year. The market is projected to see better growth of between 12 and 15 per cent this year.

McThai yesterday announced the launch of its McSaver value-for-money menus, targeting value-conscious consumers.

Chew said McSaver would be a permanent strategy covering 15 products in nine fast-moving menus, including hamburgers, pork burgers, pepper-chicken burgers and lighter foods such as the Cheesy Chicken Roll, pies and sundaes. These items will be offered at prices 10 to 15 per cent cheaper than ordinary menus.

"With the volatile global economy and unstable circumstances in Thailand, consumer lifestyles are now changing and people are more careful with their spending.

"Consequently, McDonald's always sets a strategy to respond to customers' needs, and McSaver is dedicated to offering a diversity of food, including burgers, pies, ice cream and drinks at the value prices of Bt22 and Bt25, so customers can eat more often, and add more variety to their meals. McSaver has already been successful in countries such as Malaysia and Singapore," said Chew.

[fred2007]

I see very few Thais who eat a 'western' diet and even fewer who eat western fast foods. I do see a lot of people, who now that they have more money, stuff themselves and their kids with large amounts of greasy food--still Thai food--but a lot more oil in it than years past--and some really sweet, surgary snacks and drinks.

One of the first things that happen when a society gets richer is that it gets fatter.

Here, in Thailand, when I first arrived, I towered over everyone and weighed quite a bit more. When I took a motorcycle taxi, I had to be careful not to shift my weight because it sent the thing flying in a different direction. I could also look over the driver's head easily. Now, I can hop around back there as much as I want because the driver is about the same size.

Since a lot of these people come from up country, it seems they have grown as well.

you are correct and why keep blaming KFC MCDonalds Pizza Hut for that?

I live in an area where we don't even have them and still every 3rd person seems to be over weight.

[G54]

All the more to cuddle

[Plus]

300 McDonalds by 2011? That's one place for 200,000 people, and some still blame western fast food for obesity. Burger King? They have, like, 10 shops for the whole country, and mostly at airports and tourist areas.

On the other hand, getting heavier doesn't mean getting fatter as long as people grow taller, too. If women grew 5'' taller their hips/breasts/waists must be bigger, in proportion.

Maybe there's a trend in getting fatter, but what I see is people are getting bigger, which is not the same.

[easyride]

expensive survey,could have just gone round the girlie bars to have realised their findings..................thank you KFC,BURGER KING,MACCAS,PIZZA HUT.

Right! The McDo.alds syndrome strikes.

[Halydys]

New survey finds average Thais taller, fatter, more tubular

BANGKOK: -- Thailand’s first standard body size chart has been unveiled to the public on Wednesday, with Thai people developing bigger sizes and shapes than the past generation.

The National Electronics and Computer Technology Center (NECTEC), under the Ministry of Science and Technology, announced its team of 11 researchers has successfully developed Thai standard size chart under the two-year programme called ‘SizeThailand’.

Dr. Chularat Tanprasert, who initiates the SizeThailand programme, said researchers have collated the average size of 13,442 Thai men and women of different age group across the country by using advanced 3D Body Scanning technology.

The research found that Thai men have grown more than seven centimetre taller and about 12 kilometre fatter, while Thai women have grown five centimetre taller and about five and a half kilogrammes fatter compared to 25 years ago. ‘Thai women’s waistline has also ballooned by 3.7 inches, bottom grown by 2 inches and chest expanded by 2.2 inches,’ said Dr. Chularat.

The fact that Thai men and women have developed significantly bigger chests, waists and bottoms, means the shape of the average Thai has also changed. In particular, Dr. Chularat noted, the women have become more tubular and have less of the traditional hourglass shape.

Meanwhile, Minister of Science and Technology Dr. Kalaya Sophonpanich said the findings will help Thai fashion, furniture and automobile industries design products which better suit the typical Thai physical standard and adopt more effective stockpile management strategies.

Dr. Kalaya added that the SizeThailand programme also gives advantages to medical experts to apply data analysing specific health risks associated with the patient’s physique.

The minister noted Thailand is the fifth country, after the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Japan respectively, to have used Three Dimensional (3D) Body Scanning technology to collate data on their population to develop typical standard body size chart for the benefits of the local industries.

SizeThai (acronym TH) consists of nine sizes for men: TH 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, and 46m while there are 10 sizes for women: TH 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40,c42, 44 and 46. The majority of Thai men size are TH 40, while women are TH 36.

-- TNA 2009-02-25

[/quote Did anyone realize the OP's quote says that "Thai men have grown more than seven centimetre taller and about 12 kilometre fatter, while Thai women have grown five centimetre taller and about five and a half kilogrammes fatter compared to 25 years ago." Whether it's about km or kg, the women still come out healthier & not so fat.... What's up with the Thai trying to catch up with the fat farangs? LOL