More Thais Getting Overweight

[Lite Beer]

More Thais getting overweight

BANGKOK, 21 August 2011 (NNT) - The Department of Health reveals that Thais tend to consume fattening and unhealthy food, causing a large number of them to be overweight.

Despite various campaigns by the government encouraging people to eat healthy food and exercise more, the Department of Health reveals that more Thai have become overweight.

According to a survey in 2010, 40 percent of Thai women have a waistline measuring more than 32 inches, which is the standard; while a quarter of Thai men have waistline over the normal size of 36 inches.

The Department said many people were still leading an unhealthy lifestyle; working under stress, eating junk food, and doing less exercise. It added this lifestyle not only would get them fat, but also diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and cancer.

The Department expressed its concerns that multi-national food producers had been publicizing unhealthy food to Thais. The Department will continue publicizing about the importance of exercise and how to lead a healthy lifestyle.

-- NNT 2011-08-21

[Soutpeel]

Well at least the department of health has some idea about diplomacy....."expressed its concerns that multi-national food producers had been publicizing unhealthy food to Thais".....They never came right out and said it was the farangs fault.....

[REM]

Yeah, I've never seen a food commercial in English, only in Thai. Stupid dancing girls singing annoying tunes advertising diabetes in a bottle or wrapper. Darn those multinationals!!!! Thailand should just fix all their problems and kick out all outside influence, then they will show just how truly smart and powerful they are, and they can take over the world once multinationals and farangs are out of the country!!! Hahahahahahaha!!!! Another example of a Thai playing the vicitim.

Seriously though, every time I go to the gym, 99% of Thai's are just standing around looking at themselves in the mirrors. They do 5 minutes of real exercise, and expect to be beautiful or buff. At work, all Thai's work with a minimum of stress, and gorge on junk food, no matter what anyone tells them. I have many friends, and as soon as they stopped eating Thai food, they lost weight. I on the other hand,my g.f. just cooks at home with a minimum of oil (staple in all food not cooked in a nice restaurant) and rice, and my g.f.'s weight and mine are fine, plus we hardly ever get sick.

People are just too lazy to really exercise and take 30 minutes to cook (heaven forbid they miss a game on their mobile or a minute of a series!).

[corkman]

The stuff that most of my staff eat is just swimming in oil and god only knows what additives. Its fatty cheap crappy pieces of pork, or greasy chicken with the skin..... and as for the desert type things they eat...... not to mention it is all fried and coated in sugar and MSG.

So many Thai food exports have recently been banned to Europe etc. because of the chemicals found on them. I would imagine that the street vendors buy their stuff as cheaply as possible, so god only knows what been sprayed on the ingredients.

As far as cooking..... haha - a kitchen is an "option" in most bangkok homes, because the vast majority do not cook. They will every excuse in the world but it basically boils down to them being too bloody lazy, and/or it is beneath them to cook.

When a "survey" has been done, I presume by "Thai's" they mean Bangkok residents - because the rest of Thai's don't count it would seem?

[473geo]

I am quite pleasantly surprised by the amount of fresh produce consumed by my family but they are out in the countryside. Always gives me a little satisfaction when I see them eating salad and fruit. Satisfaction that we do not live close to any fast food outlets.

Although exercise is important, do not dismiss the relevance of having a very high fibre content in the diet, exercise maybe good for the heart, lungs and muscular elements, fibre contibutes to the well being of the digestive tracts and associated areas. Too much processed food is just not good for anybody.

So no matter who is deemed responsible for the current eating habits of the Thai, Good that the government is making people aware.

[kokesaat]

7-11, Pizza Company, DQ, KFC, Lays, Fanta, and the front sidewalk of virtually every school in the village......come to mind as helping to contribute.

It's sort of interesting to see Thailand go down the path that the US/UK others have gone down for the past 20 or so years with increasing diets of junk/fast food.

It might be my imagination, but it seems like the few semi-overweight older Thais that I know are all diabetics. I wonder if they're more susceptible to the problem. One way or another, Thailand will have increasing problems with weight related issues.

[toybits]

What do you expect with brands like McDomalds, Pizza Hoot, Burger Ding, Dungking Donuts, Krispy Dream, Kentucky Fried Poultry.

I still think Somtam Poo or Soup Nho Mai is still tastier. Make that with Pla raah. Yum!

Edited August 21, 2011 by toybits

[MZurf]

Thais don't need multinationals to become overweight. The amount of sugar being added to the (Thai) food in this country is staggering, and seems to increase every year. At this rate most dishes will in a few years time taste like an effin dessert!

Mark my words: Thailand will be a future hub of diabetes.

[tjansen]

If you have a particular interest in diabetes, I suggest doing some reading about it. I was startled to learn recently from Doug Graham's book, The 80/10/10 Diet, that too much fat is the actual culprit in bringing about diabetes. He gives a pretty good explanation how fat interferes with insulin's ability to process the sugar from our food. Not to say that too much sugar helps matters any.

Thais don't need multinationals to become overweight. The amount of sugar being added to the (Thai) food in this country is staggering, and seems to increase every year. At this rate most dishes will in a few years time taste like an effin dessert!

Mark my words: Thailand will be a future hub of diabetes.

[weary]

Thailand is already a hub of diabetes, and it is getting worse.

[Backwoods]

While we have built a fairly large kitchen by Thai standards and cost me a fortune, My wife is packing on some pounds and eats little Farang food! Her problem is no exorsize and eating 20 times a day when awake!! Much as we tried, she will not exorsize, but because she eats almost exclusively Thai food, cost is at least cheap!! A chubby wife is not enough reason to get mad, but I have got her to use Olive oil and stap deep frying everything!

[wolf5370]

My Mrs has just got back from a year in the UK (where she works). She's a 30 y/o Thai. She has been back just a month and a half, but we have been very busy sorting out some land and business stuff that built up while she was away. This means grabbing food at the food halls etc quite regularly (and as my father is also visiting, trips out for a meal here and there too). She has not stopped complaining about putting on weight since she has been back for the last week or so. She is a great cook and eats almost exclusively Thai food (although she ate and cooked western food in the UK mostly - just out of ease of getting the ingredients etc). She is very hard working and almost never stops, so gets plenty of exercise (although I guess she is missing her UK Gym). She is cooking about half what we eat at the moment, but this will be more like 100% when we are less busy and things return to normal. She cooks with no MSG and little sugar etc (mostly these are used as quick and nasty - and cheap - ways to get some taste). The food hall food is causing her to put on weight - which she hates - so I think the Government should target ingredients here more than over eating - more of what is in the food than how much Thais are now eating.

[Phatcharanan]

as soon as they stopped eating Thai food, they lost weight. I on the other hand,my g.f. just cooks at home with a minimum of oil (staple in all food not cooked in a nice restaurant) and rice, and my g.f.'s weight and mine are fine, plus we hardly ever get sick.

So presumably your GF is cooking farang food right?

[jackr]

The Department expressed its concerns that multi-national food producers had been publicizing unhealthy food to Thais. The Department will continue publicizing about the importance of exercise and how to lead a healthy lifestyle

Those pesky foreigners again, eh... course, nothing to do with the silly amounts of fat and sugar ALL Thais infiltrate their food with. But carry on blaming anyone but, eh. We wouldn't expect anything less.

[bkkjames]

Take a look around this morning and count how many pop up coffee? Stalls you see on the sidewalk on your way into work serving 1 part coffee, 40 parts sweetened condensed milk and 3 parts ice. Then count the number of locals lined up X 6 days a week = fat. Now add in the bakeries that consist of flour and sugar and nothing else. Exercise, what is that? Something the maid does in walking to get you fried chicken and sticky rice for lunch.

Edited August 21, 2011 by bkkjames

[hellodolly]

Thais don't need multinationals to become overweight. The amount of sugar being added to the (Thai) food in this country is staggering, and seems to increase every year. At this rate most dishes will in a few years time taste like an effin dessert!

Mark my words: Thailand will be a future hub of diabetes.

Thank you for words of common sense. Most Thais do not have access to all the fast food places that the Farongs tend to dote on. And most of those who do hardly use them at all. Many places in Thailand have never heard of them. I know a few of the names being mentioned here are new to me.

There is no getting around it the food they buy in the western style markets is heavily laced with sugar. Also I have seen Thai's adding chile to there meal and then putting sugar in it. Go figure.

[AbdulJabaar01]

Overweight Thai = Larger MRT / BTS cars and less room to walk on the Sidewalk.

Your butt is wide, well mine is too

Just watch your mouth or I'll sit on you

The word is out, better treat me right

'Cause I'm the king of cellulite

Ham on, ham on, ham on whole wheat, all right

My zippers bust, my buckles break

I'm too much man for you to take

The pavement cracks when I fall down

I've got more chins than Chinatown

Well, I've never used a phone booth

And I've never seen my toes

When I'm goin' to the movies

I take up seven rows

Don't you call me pudgy, portly or stout

Just now tell me once again who's fat

When I walk out to get my mail

It measures on the Richter scale

Down at the beach I'm a lucky man

I'm the only one who gets a tan

If I have one more pie a la mode

I'm gonna need my own zip code

When you're only having seconds

I'm having twenty-thirds

When I go to get my shoes shined

I gotta take their word

And my shadow weighs forty-two pounds

Lemme tell you once again who's fat

If you see me comin' your way

Better give me plenty space

If I tell you that I'm hungry

Then won't you feed my face

When I sit around the house

I really sit around the house

[hellodolly]

If you have a particular interest in diabetes, I suggest doing some reading about it. I was startled to learn recently from Doug Graham's book, The 80/10/10 Diet, that too much fat is the actual culprit in bringing about diabetes. He gives a pretty good explanation how fat interferes with insulin's ability to process the sugar from our food. Not to say that too much sugar helps matters any.

Thais don't need multinationals to become overweight. The amount of sugar being added to the (Thai) food in this country is staggering, and seems to increase every year. At this rate most dishes will in a few years time taste like an effin dessert!

Mark my words: Thailand will be a future hub of diabetes.

Recently diagnosed with Diabetes. Went on the internet to look for good suggestions. Found many contradicting opinions all backed up by fact. Decided to try a more balanced diet. Definitely more veggies and less fatty foods. Fruit is OK but I found I could eat to much of that also. My blood sugar level went up.

Bottom line celery will not hurt me at all but if that is all I eat I will die of malnutrition.

On another note how does the increase in the Thai people being overweight correlate with the number moving to the big city.

[mca]

The Department expressed its concerns that multi-national food producers had been publicizing unhealthy food to Thais.

I take it he's referring to CP company.

[jaltsc]

Not only are Thais buying foods that are high in sugar and fat content, they don't even walk any more. At my local market, it seems that all the Thais are riding from one stand to another on their motor bikes. Overweight students, obviously too young to have a motor bike license, are riding to school, riding to fast food outlets and never seem to have any wear on the soles of their shoes. Thais might bad mouth farangs, but they do their best to emulate them....all the way to the bariatric and diabetes wards. If you think the economy is in trouble now, just wait until the cost of caring for obesity related diseases gets into the mix.

[AngelofDeath]

I thought most Thai food is naturally unhealthy. It's either too sweet or too spicy. Drinks such as tea taste as if they are made up of 60% sugar. The presence of the fast food restaurants only present additional options for them. Take away all fast food restaurants and you will still see unhealthy and fattening food in Thailand.

If they are really concerned about the kind of advertisements in any form, they should charge more for companies advertising unhealthy food. It will serve as a reminder to keep their advertisement clean, really.

[nong38]

It always "amazes" me how many Thais are queuing up at "Dairy Queen" and filling up in "Kentucky Fried Chicken" they want to look like the people from the west then? Slimming coffee, packs laden with sugar in the granules, but maybe not as many as some so thats the slimming aspect? Thats ok then. Keep fit, thats getting on and off the motro bike is it not. I tell the g/f if you dont walk short distances you will flatten the bike battery then you will have a long walk!! MMMMM seems to be working, when I am around anyway. Yes I have noticed in the few years I have been coming here that there are getting more "chicken bums" around, some of them can hold a tray with out it falling off! And some bikes and somlaws well I expect them to just colapse, dont these people have mirrors from the neck down. Sadly there is likely nothing we can do other than in our immediate vicinty because we dont understand, you see we are not Thai! Amazing Thailand in full flow.

Think I will have some chunky chips tonight.

Edited August 22, 2011 by nong38

[nikster]

The Department expressed its concerns that multi-national food producers had been publicizing unhealthy food to Thais.

I take it he's referring to CP company.

OMG you are so right... the CP stores creep me out. The kind of non-food they sell there is insane.

Thai food is naturally healthy and keeps the Thais slim. The problem though is that there are no standards, and they make heavy use of chemicals with no regulations. Food production is getting industrialized with little or no oversight. Eventually that will backfire.

The other issues is that all the rich kids are fat because they gorge themselves on KFC / McD / whatever, as well as their own home grown garbage chocolate bars and other snack foods - just watch morning TV and you pretty much see all the reasons the better off get fat right there in the ads.

Blaming it on mutilnationals is classic Thai but won't solve anything.

[Nisa]

Being overweight is not actually unhealthy researchers are finding ... obviously not talking about grossly overweight people were things like diabetes.

There is no data to suggest thin people live longer or have less heart issues or get cancer less. Having a few extra kilos actually can provide some health advantages. There are actually studies that done over decades in the US that show overweight (not obese) people actually live longer than "normal" weight people.

Countries like America has two-thirds of the population overweight with 1/3 of them being obese. America has been fat for a long time but each year the average life expectancy goes up.

The US has the 9th highest rate of overweight people but ranks in the top 20% of longest life spans. New Zealand rates 17th in the world with the highest percentage of overweight people but rates 13th when it comes to highest average life expectancy.

Not being thin is more a social issue than a medical one ... IMO

[zakk9]

Thai food is naturally healthy and keeps the Thais slim. The problem though is that there are no standards, and they make heavy use of chemicals with no regulations. Food production is getting industrialized with little or no oversight. Eventually that will backfire.

Thai food used to be healthy, but that was before they started adding truckloads of sugar to everything. Watch when they make food at the food courts and street stalls. It's quite common to add a tablespoon or more of sugar to one portion. Drink a bottle of red, green or yellow "water" to that, and McDonald's looks like a health farm in comparison.

[lonewolf99]

In a country that thinks "Jogging" consists of barely breaking into a slow stroll" and eating junk food by the"bucket" it is no surprise.

It is an appalling sight to see huge grossly overweight school kids spilling over the sides of motorcycles. Instead of giving them a computer each, I suggest they give them a pair of running shoes and diet sheet first.

In the the past 6 years I have seen a consistant increase in the width and girth of Thais around me. And before I am flamed for picking on them, I went to Australia last year and it seems this great sporting nation has also a massive population of "Pie Eating Champions".

The U.K and the States are on record as having grossly overweight citizens and I think Germany is catching up fast. Singapore is another Asian country with huge tubby kids.

Just wait until MacDonalds open in China - they have a huge expansion programme planned starting next year....once 1.2 Billion Chinese get overweight the planet will start listing to Starboard....

[MaxLee]

Well actually, what people might not have even thought about is following:

Kids not only get fatter because they play too much computer,... because they are sitting on their asses all day in School or university, Both institutes ending up at 3 to 4 pm or later, that's a lot of time to be wasted sitting around... and in addition to that Kids get too much homework which aren't relevant to their lives...

So too much school and homework is IMO another cause of increasing obesity...

[aussiebebe]

In the the past 6 years I have seen a consistant increase in the width and girth of Thais around me. And before I am flamed for picking on them, I went to Australia last year and it seems this great sporting nation has also a massive population of "Pie Eating Champions".

My perception of increasing numbers of overweight people mirrors exactly what you wrote. Over the same time period (6 years) I have really noticed an increase in Thais with weight problems. My reading of the past 50 years is that increased consumption of carbonated drinks most closely mirrors increases in average weight. What was once a family size coke is now single serve in some instances. Other issues are the increased prevalence of corn-syrup and trans fat. Yet these issues have developed over several decades so why now do we seem to be seeing such a mushroom effect?

I think technology which encourages sedentary behavior might well have been the tipping point; we have internet speeds, smart phones and computers now which were just sci-fi 6 years ago. It's hard to think back, but at the dawn of 2005 there was no youtube, average internet speeds in Bangkok were 512k, and going online on a phone was an expensive novelty. Research indicate that looking at a UV screen like LED actually makes it harder to sleep, most people read or play with their phones even in bed, and lack of sleep alters the bodies hormonal balance which promotes fat storage. Quite clearly the problem is multi-faceted.

[aussiebebe]

In the the past 6 years I have seen a consistant increase in the width and girth of Thais around me. And before I am flamed for picking on them, I went to Australia last year and it seems this great sporting nation has also a massive population of "Pie Eating Champions".

My perception of increasing numbers of overweight people mirrors exactly what you wrote. Over the same time period (6 years) I have really noticed an increase in Thais with weight problems. My reading of the past 50 years is that increased consumption of carbonated drinks most closely mirrors increases in average weight. What was once a family size coke is now single serve in some instances. Other issues are the increased prevalence of corn-syrup and trans fat. Yet these issues have developed over several decades so why now do we seem to be seeing such a mushroom effect?

I think technology which encourages sedentary behavior might well have been the tipping point; we have internet speeds, smart phones and computers now which were just sci-fi 6 years ago. It's hard to think back, but at the dawn of 2005 there was no youtube, average internet speeds in Bangkok were 512k, and going online on a phone was an expensive novelty. Research indicate that looking at a UV screen like LED actually makes it harder to sleep, most people read or play with their phones even in bed, and lack of sleep alters the bodies hormonal balance which promotes fat storage. Quite clearly the problem is multi-faceted.

[Bagwan]

So too much school and homework is IMO another cause of increasing obesity...

I assume then that you are wafer thin.

Few will doubt that the kids don't get enough exercise. Do Thai schools provide physical training? Do they have inter-school athletics and ball games? Or do they just pick murderous fights with each other?