Loss Of Appetite

[karTER]

We've been in Asia/Thailand now for the past two years and in that time have readily acclimatised to the increase in daily temperatures, which average in the early thirties (Centigrade).

During this period we've also eaten in much the same manner we've always done when we were back in the UK, no breakfast, first meal of the day a light lunch around 13:00 or so and then a main meal in the evenings, perhaps 19:00-20:00. We rarely get hungry between meal times and that tends to be our feeding pattern.

Until recently, when we're simply not that hungry at all during the day any more. We're not ill, we're not dieting and nor are we experiencing any real hunger pangs until the evening, when we eat a similar quantity as normal.

I'm wondering if anyone else has noticed a change in their eating habits since they've been living here and is the heat a factor for the change? Is anyone eating less (or more)?

[Valentine]

Most days, during the recent hot & oppressive weather, I was generally out & about for my job. The heat wore me down much more than usual & my appetite was definitely down

[gotglue]

Because of working nights in the UK I never really had any eating patterns, but I do remember when I had my first holiday here, 16 yrs ago, I just couldn't eat full stop because of the heat. Now after living here for 10 yrs, I find that my eating patterns or lack of from the UK is more fitting for LoS, eat when you're hungry. Not healthy I know, but that's the way it seems to be here for the most part.

[SeanS]

Enjoy delicious Thai food!

The more spicy it is the more you salivate and perspire which cools your body temperature and helps quench your thirst.

This is one reason why Asian people can stick the heat better than us Farang.

I eat Issan food every day and have adopted to diet well.

My problem only happens when I visit the UK as I have no desire for Western food which is bland compared to Thai food.

[mommysboy]

Enjoy delicious Thai food!

The more spicy it is the more you salivate and perspire which cools your body temperature and helps quench your thirst.

This is one reason why Asian people can stick the heat better than us Farang.

I eat Issan food every day and have adopted to diet well.

My problem only happens when I visit the UK as I have no desire for Western food which is bland compared to Thai food.

This year has been particularly hot, and many farangs I know are feeling it, one symptom is feeling a bit off your food during the day.

I don't think you'd be acclimatised yet IMHO, and in any case there comes a point when hot is just hot if you see what I mean, even the Thais start to wilt.

I suppose it's your schedule, but the obvious thing would be to eat late evening in an AC room, and go to bed later.

I doubt your ill.

[mommysboy]

Enjoy delicious Thai food!

The more spicy it is the more you salivate and perspire which cools your body temperature and helps quench your thirst.

This is one reason why Asian people can stick the heat better than us Farang.

I eat Issan food every day and have adopted to diet well.

My problem only happens when I visit the UK as I have no desire for Western food which is bland compared to Thai food.

This is a poor posting and poor advice IMHO.

[KunMatt]

Enjoy delicious Thai food!

The more spicy it is the more you salivate and perspire which cools your body temperature and helps quench your thirst.

This is one reason why Asian people can stick the heat better than us Farang.

I eat Issan food every day and have adopted to diet well.

My problem only happens when I visit the UK as I have no desire for Western food which is bland compared to Thai food.

This is a poor posting and poor advice IMHO.

I agree.

And it must suck not to be able to eat your own food anymore when you go back to your own country, if you only eat Isaan food exclusively your mealtimes must be a chore. I love Thai food and used to cook Asian food more than anything else before I moved to Thailand but to pretend to have turned Thai and stick my nose up at Western food is something that will never happen.

I can't think of anything more bland than eating Som Tam three times every single day or any of the other Isaan food which all tastes and smells the same as they all use the same ingredients. I do like Som Tam and maybe have it once or twice a week here in Isaan but I still love the occasional steak, or pasta dish, or Sunday Roast and so on.

To each his own but obviously your snobbery isn't going to sit well with other members.

To answer the OP, in Isaan where it's 40 degrees plus most days, since the first week we came here I find myself rarely hungry and usually force myself to eat at lunch and dinner. When we are in Bangkok or anywhere cooler then we eat 3 large main meals and snacks too so definitely the heat changes your appetite.

And I don't agree that the diet is the reason the Thais handle the heat better because I eat the same food as them and the heat is still torturous to me; it's the fact that over tens of thousands of years their bodies have adapted to this climate and it's the reason I drink more than 4 litres of water every hour to their one small glass when we are labouring outside. To prove your theory is balls I usually look like I've just been swimming in my clothes while the Thais have barely broken a sweat, so the food making you perspire and cooling you down isn't correct as I don't need any help perspiring here!

[Scully]

Enjoy delicious Thai food!

The more spicy it is the more you salivate and perspire which cools your body temperature and helps quench your thirst.

This is one reason why Asian people can stick the heat better than us Farang.

I eat Issan food every day and have adopted to diet well.

My problem only happens when I visit the UK as I have no desire for Western food which is bland compared to Thai food.

This is a poor posting and poor advice IMHO.

I think you will find there is a little truth in spicy food making you perspire thus cooling you down, wether it quenches your thirst or not I am not sure.

I too eat only Thai/Issan food and when it is really hot like now myself and my girlfreind don't have the same appetite as when its just blooming hot. We seem to make up for this though by eating a kilo of fruit a day each .

[karTER]

I have no problem in eating less!

It's the same with drinking- I rarely drink anything before midday (even after a night on the beer) and usually take in less than a litre a day of fluids.

I've always been like this, irrespective of the heat/temperature, I rarely feel thirsty.

[RealRyguy]

Before I left my country my eating patterns where exactly the same as the OP.

When I moved here I fell in love with Thai food and ate 2-3 big meals a day and gained a lot of weight.

I've lived here about 1 year 4 months now and I have gotten sick of Thai food and rice. Ive gone through the miss my food phase and payed expensive prices for western foods.

Ive experimented with other cultures foods such as Indian, Muslim, Korean, Burmese, Japanese, Chinese, etc...

But Lately I have stopped eating a lot and lost about 30 pounds... i can barely eat 1 meal a day now... I have no idea why.

The heat does bother me quite a bit. I do without A/C unless absolutely necessary.

I think it is the heat. Maybe mild dehydration? I do sweat a lot and try to drink water... Hmmm? Glad Im not the only one!