Officials Fear Phuket Kids ‘Eating Themselves Dumb’

[george]

Officials fear Phuket kids ‘eating themselves dumb’

PHUKET: Poor diet is hampering Phuket children’s mental development, a seminar attended by Phuket school directors and health officials was told this week.

“According to research by the Department of Mental Health, poor diet is already causing problems, with many children suffering stunted growth or being under- or overweight,” said Phuket Provincial Chief Administrative Officer (Palad) Chaiwat Taephee.

“And it is also inhibiting their capacity to learn and solve problems,” he added.

At the seminar to hear Mr Chaiwat’s concerns were health officers, representatives from each of the 18 local administration organizations (OrBorTor) on the island and the principals from 21 Phuket schools.

Mr Chaiwat said that Phuket students attaining higher than average IQ (intelligence quotient) scores in a recent government survey was to be praised, but school directors were not to rest on their laurels.

“Phuket children scored above-average IQs. Phuket ranked number 14 in Thailand and number 1 province in the South.

“But that is no reason to relax, because many of the children in our nurseries and schools are still suffering from malnutrition. They are short, thin and fat – and all this affects their mental development and learning skills,” he said.

Mr Chaiwat called for a sustained public awareness campaign and for the relevant officials to take steps in their respective areas to help counter the problem

“The research indicates that we need to encourage people to live healthily, to eat a proper, nutritious diet at the right age. We must start from pregnancy. Pregnant women must have access to the appropriate food as well as Triferdine, which includes the iodine, iron and folic acid necessary for the complete development of the unborn baby’s brain.

“Babies must be breast fed for the first six months, together with iodine, iron and folic acid supplements, and then they must have the right nutrition fed to them by their families, at nursery centers and at schools,” he said.

“If we coordinate and take good care of our children by giving them nutritious food, and raise them well and offer them a good education, then Phuket children will certainly be above average,” he added.

-- Phuket Gazette 2011-10-21

[Boater]

yes, blame the food ! ,

[thaiIand]

yes, blame the food ! ,

the food IS the reason why thai kids are suffering. If i go to the park with my 3year old. he'll be taller and stronger than all kids under 6 unless they have a non-poor farang parent feeding them good meats, good wheat and good veggies. A poor farang feeding his kid rice based meals will have a small and inanimate kid just like most thai kids are (i rarely see thai kids ever moving outside of the 30mins a day reserved for their parents showing off at the parks/restaurants)

Same goes with adults, if you feed me some rice based thai meal and i get to work, i be on auto pilot doing retarded stuff. If i eat a good steak with mashed potatoes and a few veggies i'll be alert.

last 2 months we had no time to cook and ate a lot of riced based meals and our kid was getting out of control. cranky, annoying and unwilling to learn any small new thing.. 2weeks back on good home cooked meals and we don't even have to punish him most days.

Edited October 23, 2011 by LivinginKata
flame removed

[msg362]

yes, blame the food ! ,

the food IS the reason why thai kids are suffering. If i go to the park with my 3year old. he'll be taller and stronger than all kids under 6 unless they have a non-poor farang parent feeding them good meats, good wheat and good veggies. A poor farang feeding his kid rice based meals will have a small and inanimate kid just like most thai kids are (i rarely see thai kids ever moving outside of the 30mins a day reserved for their parents showing off at the parks/restaurants)

Same goes with adults, if you feed me some rice based thai meal and i get to work, i be on auto pilot doing retarded stuff. If i eat a good steak with mashed potatoes and a few veggies i'll be alert.

last 2 months we had no time to cook and ate a lot of riced based meals and our kid was getting out of control. cranky, annoying and unwilling to learn any small new thing.. 2weeks back on good home cooked meals and we don't even have to punish him most days.

You don't have to punish him most days? Who are you? You are simply talking nonsense. So the Chinese, Koreans Japanese etc are stupid because they eat rice and don't eat steaks every day?? Live in the real world, give your child a break. Basic essential nutrition is important, other than that the rest is just stupidity.

[thaiIand]

the food IS the reason why thai kids are suffering. If i go to the park with my 3year old. he'll be taller and stronger than all kids under 6 unless they have a non-poor farang parent feeding them good meats, good wheat and good veggies. A poor farang feeding his kid rice based meals will have a small and inanimate kid just like most thai kids are (i rarely see thai kids ever moving outside of the 30mins a day reserved for their parents showing off at the parks/restaurants)

Same goes with adults, if you feed me some rice based thai meal and i get to work, i be on auto pilot doing retarded stuff. If i eat a good steak with mashed potatoes and a few veggies i'll be alert.

last 2 months we had no time to cook and ate a lot of riced based meals and our kid was getting out of control. cranky, annoying and unwilling to learn any small new thing.. 2weeks back on good home cooked meals and we don't even have to punish him most days.

You don't have to punish him most days? Who are you? You are simply talking nonsense. So the Chinese, Koreans Japanese etc are stupid because they eat rice and don't eat steaks every day?? Live in the real world, give your child a break. Basic essential nutrition is important, other than that the rest is just stupidity.

so why do you reply when thats exactly what i said?

thai food at 20-40baht a pop is NOT basic nutrition, is terrible for your health and is NOT enough for a growing child.

this is the same problem with ghetto neighborhood and mcdonalds in the west.

[waza]

Hmmm tell me where is the nuturtional value in rice with all the goodness polished off? I agree with Thailand, a balanced high protien diet is a better option. Also yes Chinese, Koreans Japanese etc kids are/were undersized due to their natural diet, they have increased in size since they augmented their diets with dairy foods.

[kennalder]

yes, blame the food ! ,

Finally there is a Thai public official talking sense and you have to "nail him". I guess getting to take the first shot is more important than taking a close look at what he is saying. Google Iodine Deficiency Disorder and look at the Wikipedia article. You will find the following:

"According to WHO, in 2007, nearly 2 billion individuals had insufficient iodine intake, a third being of school age. ... Thus iodine deficiency, as the single greatest preventable cause of mental retardation, is an important public-health problem."^[1]

Interestingly enough, Iodine deficiency is more prevalent in remote areas, away from places that get seafood in their diet. So if Phuket children have a higher IQ than most of the rest of the country their natural diet may have more to do with this than any organized efforts. In other words the luck of the draw.

We are what what we eat becomes.

[smokie36]

yes, blame the food ! ,

Finally there is a Thai public official talking sense and you have to "nail him". I guess getting to take the first shot is more important than taking a close look at what he is saying. Google Iodine Deficiency Disorder and look at the Wikipedia article. You will find the following:

"According to WHO, in 2007, nearly 2 billion individuals had insufficient iodine intake, a third being of school age. ... Thus iodine deficiency, as the single greatest preventable cause of mental retardation, is an important public-health problem."^[1]

Interestingly enough, Iodine deficiency is more prevalent in remote areas, away from places that get seafood in their diet. So if Phuket children have a higher IQ than most of the rest of the country their natural diet may have more to do with this than any organized efforts. In other words the luck of the draw.

We are what what we eat becomes.

[msg362]

so why do you reply when thats exactly what i said?

thai food at 20-40baht a pop is NOT basic nutrition, is terrible for your health and is NOT enough for a growing child.

this is the same problem with ghetto neighborhood and mcdonalds in the west.

No that's not what you said, read it, you said that eating rice based meals was not good. That is nonsense. Eating something like moo grapo or khao pat ghai ( spelt wrong I know) is nutritious and we are lucky to live in Thailand where it costs 30 baht and not the £5 it would cost in the UK

[msg362]

Hmmm tell me where is the nuturtional value in rice with all the goodness polished off? I agree with Thailand, a balanced high protien diet is a better option. Also yes Chinese, Koreans Japanese etc kids are/were undersized due to their natural diet, they have increased in size since they augmented their diets with dairy foods.

About the same as peeled boiled potatoes. It the BALANCE bit that is important, a rice based balanced meal including a little meat and vegetables would be roughly the same as a Potato based balanced meal. you cannot say that if you substitute rice for potatoes it makes kids dumb/weak etc. However if you can provide evidence I will change my mind

Edited October 22, 2011 by msg362

[bunta71]

What are the teachers eating?

[smokie36]

What are the teachers eating?

Same as the kids usually. Kind of lost its way a bit here. From what I read from the OP Phuket's kids are doing well but need to address certain areas of nutritional awareness at a young age. Its no different to what we are now seeing in western schools.

I blame that Oliver bloke....maybe Thailand got itself some dietitians...those guys are the food gestapo.

[thaiIand]

No that's not what you said, read it, you said that eating rice based meals was not good. That is nonsense. Eating something like moo grapo or khao pat ghai ( spelt wrong I know) is nutritious and we are lucky to live in Thailand where it costs 30 baht and not the £5 it would cost in the UK

IT IS NOT NUTRITIONAL

The shitplate they sell at 30baht have lots of rice, 3 piece of overcooked meat with no nutriment left(with meat that was left in the sun all day long) and then they dare to put 2-3 leaves of veggies, less than 1 cm of carrots and sometimes 2 slices of cucumber. if you get an egg you're lucky.

However if my gf or a real cook makes a friend rice with 4-5 veggies and loits of meat then its good. but you wont get that for under 100baht.and even then its nothing compared to food from most other asian countries/west countries

[msg362]

No that's not what you said, read it, you said that eating rice based meals was not good. That is nonsense. Eating something like moo grapo or khao pat ghai ( spelt wrong I know) is nutritious and we are lucky to live in Thailand where it costs 30 baht and not the £5 it would cost in the UK

IT IS NOT NUTRITIONAL

The shitplate they sell at 30baht have lots of rice, 3 piece of overcooked meat with no nutriment left(with meat that was left in the sun all day long) and then they dare to put 2-3 leaves of veggies, less than 1 cm of carrots and sometimes 2 slices of cucumber. if you get an egg you're lucky.

However if my gf or a real cook makes a friend rice with 4-5 veggies and loits of meat then its good. but you wont get that for under 100baht.and even then its nothing compared to food from most other asian countries/west countries

However if my gf or a real cook makes a friend rice with 4-5 veggies and loits of meat then its good. but you wont get that for under 100baht Well I can sorry for you

Even then its nothing compared to food from most other asian countries/west countries not true sorry

To repeat. for the last time as it is getting boring, you said eating rice based meals was a problem I see you haven't answered that point. BTW I don't see meat left in the sun al day long, out, yes but not in the sun and tell us what gets destroyed by leaving it out ( not' it can get contaminated/ infected')- what nutrients get destroyed that aren't anyway destroyed by cooking, I really would like to know.Much western meat is hung for long periods before eating, game often is left to hang for many weeks. If not, maybe keep you unsubstantiated opinions to yourself?

[thaiIand]

Have you gratuated in nutrition? no? then please just accept facts and if you want to understand them just make your own research. You're going against the whole wide world right now defending your 30baht crap. If you cant afford more than ok its sad just dont start making shit up as if its enough for a healthy brain.

[stevenl]

Have you gratuated in nutrition? no? then please just accept facts and if you want to understand them just make your own research. You're going against the whole wide world right now defending your 30baht crap. If you cant afford more than ok its sad just dont start making shit up as if its enough for a healthy brain.

My research, quote from Thailand:

"A poor farang feeding his kid rice based meals will have a small and inanimate kid just like most thai kids are"

But judging from your other posts you have retracted that rice based meals are not nutricious.

[thaiIand]

kids being underfed are going to be lethargic and small.. its a simple fact for those of us who have finished our high schools and not here living off scraps and pretending everything is fine.

Reminds me of threads where poor parents are defending thai "private" schools where their english teachers think 15 is fiveteen. Then after 5pages they admit they cant afford better but they still defended the school at first.

Thai meals are horrible for children especially preparer in restaurants. They give you even less than you're suposed to get.

I bet that if any of the 30bath mealers here have a nagging wife and they would feed her just a simple diet of potatoes, full chicken breast and a full bowl of brocoli 3 times a day their wives would become the most pleasant person in the world.

Its a simple fact that the food we consume reflects on our body, brain and emotions. Basic cheap thai food by itself is about 20% of what is needed. Laughable how some consider empty rice calories that burn in 5mins a "meal"

[msg362]

Have you gratuated in nutrition? no? then please just accept facts and if you want to understand them just make your own research. You're going against the whole wide world right now defending your 30baht crap. If you cant afford more than ok its sad just dont start making shit up as if its enough for a healthy brain.

Facts are verifiable, you provide none, but simply think that abusing me wins the argument. I assume you have a degree in nutrition? you have evidence for your assertions?You also misrepresent my points and answer none of them.

Where did I say I could not afford more than 30 Baht? ( I can of course, I've just eaten a great piece of steak!!).

Enough talking with someone who just gets upset if someone challenges his opinion and asks for evidence. The 'everyone says this' argument doesn't prove anything and of course there are lots of people who would disagree with you.Your method is simply to shout,not what an educated mind does.

BTW no need to use words like 'shit'/ 'crap' unless that is your normal level of conversation.

Sleep well

Edited October 22, 2011 by msg362

[thaiIand]

30 baht meals are crap. no other words describes the food better than crap and shit that turns kids into lethargic deadbeats. Of course now that some thai posts this on a newspaper its bs and their cheap fast-food suddenly becomes god's gift to humanity.

Keep trolling and making up stories on how those cheap rice meals contain all the needed minerals, vitamins, proteins, carbs and calories for a healthy young child supposedly running around all day and growing. Very mature of you.

[msg362]

30 baht meals are crap. no other words describes the food better than crap and shit that turns kids into lethargic deadbeats. Of course now that some thai posts this on a newspaper its bs and their cheap fast-food suddenly becomes god's gift to humanity.

Keep trolling and making up stories on how those cheap rice meals contain all the needed minerals, vitamins, proteins, carbs and calories for a healthy young child supposedly running around all day and growing. Very mature of you.

You really are in a different world aren't you. Where have I ever said any of the things you say I've said above. I don't need an answer because you simply won't do that. Assertions are fine, opinions are fine, but sometime they have to be backed up with facts if you want to persuade others. Being offensive doesnt contribute

Good night!

[waza]

30 baht meals are crap. no other words describes the food better than crap and shit that turns kids into lethargic deadbeats. Of course now that some thai posts this on a newspaper its bs and their cheap fast-food suddenly becomes god's gift to humanity.

Keep trolling and making up stories on how those cheap rice meals contain all the needed minerals, vitamins, proteins, carbs and calories for a healthy young child supposedly running around all day and growing. Very mature of you.

You really are in a different world aren't you. Where have I ever said any of the things you say I've said above. I don't need an answer because you simply won't do that. Assertions are fine, opinions are fine, but sometime they have to be backed up with facts if you want to persuade others. Being offensive doesnt contribute

Good night!

Ok msg here is some proof that your white rice diet isnt nutritional..........A diet based on unenriched white rice leaves people vulnerable to the neurological disease beriberi, due to a deficiency of thiamine (vitamin B₁). White rice is often enriched with some of the nutrients stripped from it during its processing.^[1]....My link

This processing of our perfect natural food has been extended further through packaging until little is left but the perishable hydrate of carbon core-stripped of its preservative hulls - which cannot be stored without the use of chemical additives........My link

The question over whether potatoes or rice is more nutritious has been a long-standing debate........Potatoes have higher amounts of some nutrients compared to rice......

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/134806-baked-potato-vs-rice-nutrition/#ixzz1bWzNyiV0

Grow potatoes not rice, China's farmers are told......"The potato is not only more nutritious, potato yields per hectare weigh three to four times more than other crops," said Chen Fan, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Sciences.My link

[LivinginKata]

One insulting post removed. If this bickering continues then more posts will be removed.

[msg362]

Ok msg here is some proof that your white rice diet isnt nutritional..........A diet based on unenriched white rice leaves people vulnerable to the neurological disease beriberi, due to a deficiency of thiamine (vitamin B₁). White rice is often enriched with some of the nutrients stripped from it during its processing.^[1]....My link

This processing of our perfect natural food has been extended further through packaging until little is left but the perishable hydrate of carbon core-stripped of its preservative hulls - which cannot be stored without the use of chemical additives........My link

The question over whether potatoes or rice is more nutritious has been a long-standing debate........Potatoes have higher amounts of some nutrients compared to rice......

Read more: http://www.livestron.../#ixzz1bWzNyiV0

Grow potatoes not rice, China's farmers are told......"The potato is not only more nutritious, potato yields per hectare weigh three to four times more than other crops," said Chen Fan, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Sciences.My link

I've just looked up your link.Peeled boiled potatoes and white rice are very similar. Of course rice doesn't contain all the nutrients needed, nor do boiled potatoes.!

The point I've been trying to make is that rice or potatoes are the carbohydrate base, that millions of people live on a rice based diet quite happily if it is supplemented with other food. just as millions live on a potato based diet in a similar fashion. It's not the rice that's the problem, it's what else you add ( or don't add)

[steelepulse]

From what I can read here, a western diet hasn't helped the intellect of a certain poster advocating that rice is making people not as smart as said poster. I believe the poster to be wrong and I think it has more to do with genetics than diet on how smart or dumb a person is.

[kennalder]

From what I can read here, a western diet hasn't helped the intellect of a certain poster advocating that rice is making people not as smart as said poster. I believe the poster to be wrong and I think it has more to do with genetics than diet on how smart or dumb a person is.

Wow!

Will someone please give me a head scratching emoticon?

All cells, including brain cells, need nutrition among other things to function optimally.

This from my earlier post:

"According to WHO, in 2007, nearly 2 billion individuals had insufficient iodine intake, a third being of school age. ... Thus iodine deficiency, as the single greatest preventable cause of mental retardation, is an important public-health problem." !important !important]]

You can find that quote in Wikipedia. Of course you may be correct and WHO could be wrong.

[evanson]

yes, blame the food ! ,

the food IS the reason why thai kids are suffering. If i go to the park with my 3year old. he'll be taller and stronger than all kids under 6 unless they have a non-poor farang parent feeding them good meats, good wheat and good veggies. A poor farang feeding his kid rice based meals will have a small and inanimate kid just like most thai kids are (i rarely see thai kids ever moving outside of the 30mins a day reserved for their parents showing off at the parks/restaurants)

Same goes with adults, if you feed me some rice based thai meal and i get to work, i be on auto pilot doing retarded stuff. If i eat a good steak with mashed potatoes and a few veggies i'll be alert.

last 2 months we had no time to cook and ate a lot of riced based meals and our kid was getting out of control. cranky, annoying and unwilling to learn any small new thing.. 2weeks back on good home cooked meals and we don't even have to punish him most days.

post inferring vegetarians/vegans are more intellectually challenged than 'steak and chips' types,

I'm quite sure that a large proportion of the populace of the Indian continent would disagree with you. Their average IQ is way above that of the flesh-with-everything Thais. And the Mahatma would very seriously have taken issue with your ridiculous comment re 'out of control' rice eaters.

Edited October 23, 2011 by LivinginKata
Flames removed

[LivinginKata]

Yet again I have removed an inflammatory post and edited other posts to remove inflammatory remarks. Any more inflammatory remarks will result in warnings as per forum rule 5) Not to post inflammatory messages on the forum, or attempt to disrupt discussions to upset its participants, or trolling. Trolling can be defined as the act of purposefully antagonizing other people on the internet by posting controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages with the primary intent of provoking other users into an emotional response or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.

[Felt 35]

http://www.livestrong.com/article/345117-rice-vs-potato-nutrition/

[kennalder]

http://www.livestron...tato-nutrition/

Finally a post that forces us to a conclusion that everyone will agree on.

Brown rice in Thailand is rare in street food. I stopped short of saying non-existent.

[thaiIand]

http://www.livestron...tato-nutrition/

Finally a post that forces us to a conclusion that everyone will agree on.

Brown rice in Thailand is rare in street food. I stopped short of saying non-existent.

I love brown rice and the last time i was able to get it on a plate in a restaurant was 4 years ago.. not in thailand.