Most Thais Die Of Cancer And Heart Diseases

[george]

Most Thais die of cancer and heart diseases

UBON RATCHATHANI: -- Cancer and heart disease is the biggest killer of Thais, according to a government medical official Dr. Suchai Charoenratanakul.

Nearly 62,000 Thais died of these two diseases in 2002 – at an average of seven deaths an hour. This represented a fifth of all deaths that year.

More than 250 patients suffering from these two diseases were admitted to hospital for treatment in 2003, an average of nearly 800 patients a day, said Dr. Suchai.

Thailand needs to develop its medical technology to treat these killer diseases, he added.

Nearly eighty percent of hospitals and clinics treating the two diseases are now located in Bangkok.

With the acute shortage of treatment available in the provinces, the Health Ministry plans to set up 40 cancer treatment centres and another 28 clinics to treat emergency cases across the country before 2008 costing more than two billion baht, Dr. Suchai said.

--TNA 2005-05-29

[TizMe]

In the west we have mamograms, pap smears, as well as tests for colon, and prostate cancers etc.

I'm sure that few if any Thais have any checkups until it has gone past the point of no return.

When I first mentioned having a pap smear to my wife she looked at me like I wanted her to have her head removed and then replaced backwards...

[Artisi]

what would be interesting is a correlation of the death rate as compared to the social status of those who are dying.

From my observation so far in Thailand, I would suggest that many Thai's have an abysmal diet consisting of white rice and as much animal protien as they can consume in a given time, usually fried or also observed many Thai's sitting down to a meal consisting of nothing but animal protien, plate after plate after plate - A diet of this nature is a disaster - as we are now seeing - increased heart disease and cancer.

As for spending more on treatment and research, this is a complete waste of time and resources - just look at the west, more and more is being ploughed into treatment and research without any effect on the death rate - other than the death rate is increasing - so much for spending money on cures etc - a false premise.

Money is better spent on education as to what constitues a good healthy diet and life style.

Just look around you - what do you see, more and more overweight people, especially kids, many being driven to school because they are too fat and/or lazy to walk, who after school run straight to the food outlet for a major serving of greasy pork sausage, chicken dripping with oil, or a bag or 2 of pork balls.

And we wonder why the death rate from heart disease and cancer is on the increase.

[Abandon]

I thought that accidents were the biggest killer of thais. Or maybe the article means the biggest medical condition killer.

[thohts]

I thought that accidents were the biggest killer of thais. Or maybe the article means the biggest medical condition killer.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The following statistics were pulled from NationMaster.com

Motorcycle rider injured in other and unspecified transport accidents (per capita): Thailand #4 at 6.92 deaths per 1 million people

Motorcycle rider injured in collision with fixed or stationary object (per capita): Thailand #42

Motorcycle rider injured in noncollision transport accident (per capita): Thailand #29

Pedestrian injured in other and unspecified transport accidents (per capita): Thailand #2

Car occupant injured in other and unspecified transport accidents (per capita): Thailand #2

Also from NationMaster:

Murders with firearms (per capita): Thailand #3

Life expectancy at birth: Thailand is #109 at 71.24 years (Gaza Strip is #106, for comparison)

Murders with firearms (per capita): Thailand #3

[Thaiquila]

Ouch!

Those statistics are appalling.

As far as diet, I was of the understanding that the traditional Thai diet that uses lots of herbs such as galanga in tom yum we protective against cancer.

Yes, diet is important, but I imagine the horrible pollution, especially in Bangkok, is the bigger factor.

[midas]

From my observation so far in Thailand, I would suggest that many Thai's have an abysmal diet consisting of white rice and as much animal protien as they can consume in a given time, usually fried or also observed many Thai's sitting down to a meal consisting of nothing but animal protien, plate after plate after plate - A diet of this nature is a disaster - as we are now seeing - increased heart disease and cancer.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[/quote

Artisi, are you saying that white rice is also an abysmal diet ? I am just interested..

I would have thought even white rice is better than the junk food we eat so much of in the West ?

[thymode91]

From my observation so far in Thailand, I would suggest that many Thai's have an abysmal diet consisting of white rice and as much animal protien as they can consume in a given time, usually fried or also observed many Thai's sitting down to a meal consisting of nothing but animal protien, plate after plate after plate - A diet of this nature is a disaster - as we are now seeing - increased heart disease and cancer.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[/quote

Artisi, are you saying that white rice is also an abysmal diet ? I am just interested..

I would have thought even white rice is better than the junk food we eat so much of in the West ?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[WhiteShiva]

I thought that accidents were the biggest killer of thais. Or maybe the article means the biggest medical condition killer.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The following statistics were pulled from NationMaster.com

Motorcycle rider injured in other and unspecified transport accidents (per capita): Thailand #4 at 6.92 deaths per 1 million people

per day? month? year?

[Abandon]

modern white rice is utter rubish. Thai rice used to be good until corporations came along with offers of high yield crops giving farmers 5x the yield. Modern rice has a very low nutritional value, unless you eat it brown. But Thais look down on brown rice since in days gone their highly nutricious rice could not be well digested unless dehusked and polished. Mind you, it is no worse than white bread.

Another point - have you noticed how street stalls manage to keep bread on sale in the hot weather for days on end - just imagine the preservatives that are going into it. Back home a loaf lasted a couple of days, but I have had bread here that has lasted weeks (forgotten)

[penzman]

Our neighbor has one lung left, is dying of cancer and has never smoked. In their cancer prevention plan, pollution should be on top of their list of priorities, which is all screwed up by the way as noise pollution from motorbikes seems to be the priority these days... How many cancer cases are directly related to air quality? The rate is surely much higher in Bangkok and areas with heavy traffic.

Daah! My ashtray's full again!

[mnoorsapl]

Most Thais die of cancer and heart diseases

Nearly eighty percent of hospitals and clinics treating the two diseases are now located in Bangkok.

--TNA 2005-05-29

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Being one of the most over populated city in the world. it's not surprising

Pollutions and smog does contribute to bad health.

[Yangpuss]

Being one of the most over populated city in the world. it's not surprising

Pollutions and smog does contribute to bad health.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You are all forgetting the biggest problem -- the enormous pesticide use with its heavy residues in food and produce, the chemically polluted groundwater...that's more likely to be causing the cancer than the air pollution.

[Artisi]

From my observation so far in Thailand, I would suggest that many Thai's have an abysmal diet consisting of white rice and as much animal protien as they can consume in a given time, usually fried or also observed many Thai's sitting down to a meal consisting of nothing but animal protien, plate after plate after plate - A diet of this nature is a disaster - as we are now seeing - increased heart disease and cancer.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[/quote

Artisi, are you saying that white rice is also an abysmal diet ? I am just interested..

I would have thought even white rice is better than the junk food we eat so much of in the West ?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

White rice might be marginally better than the junk western diet - but in itself - it is not all that good- brown rice is a completely different story - but as pointed out - thai's won't eat it because it is 'peasant' food - not good enough for most Thais which is unfortunate

[San_Belgium]

Apart from air pollution from traffic lets not forget air pollution from "fire".

As soon as you leave the city the smog of cars is replaced by smog of burning plastic.

It seems there is always someone burning plastic somewhere.

around the corner or under the next palmtree, upcountry or on some island, nowhere you can escape the smell of fire and burning plastic.

It is extremely unhealty to breath this on a daily basis.

The dioxine levels in thailand must be very high.

In Thailand people don't seem to be aware this smoke causes cancer and shortens life.