Chronic Diseases Haunt Thai Population

[webfact]

Chronic diseases haunt Thai population

BANGKOK, Sept 8 – Non-contagious chronic diseases kill more than 100,000 Thai people a year, almost half of them under the age of 60.

Deputy Public Health Minister Surawit Khonsomboon cited diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, vascular disease and cancer as five significant chronic diseases, resulting from a lack of exercise, obesity, insufficient fiber intake, smoking and alcohol addiction.

Medical treatment for these diseases costs the country Bt300 billion a year.

The latest survey found obesity among over 17 Thai million people, aged above 15, said Dr Surawit, explaining that these people are highly prone to chronic diseases and Thai people’s life expectancy will be shorter if no action is taken.

Realising that physical workouts are the best medicine, the Public Health Ministry has aimed at encouraging Thais above 11 years old to exercise and increasing the number by 30 per cent, or to 18 million people in 2013.

Last year’s survey on exercise behaviour of Thai people older than 11 years found that among the 57.7 million people in the adult age group, only 15 million people or 26 per cent exercised—a disappointing decrease by nearly 30 per cent from 2007.

The figure signifies potential obesity and chronic diseases due to lack of exercise among 42 million Thai adults, he said.

The alarming decline apparently triggered the Public Health Ministry to organise a national hula hoop competition at the gymnasium of Thammasat University on Thursday.

More than 3,000 hula hoop dancers from 76 provinces joined the event. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-09-08

[BookMan]

This headline must be repeated in nearly every country around the world.

[moe666]

Sounds like the good old USofA

[cooked]

'Physical workouts' - how about doing some work instead of perching yourself on one of those ridiculous 'workout machines'? I am not addressing only Thais here.

I made a lot of good money mowing lawns for people that didn't have time, often enough because they had to go to a fitness club or sports club. At 64 I am in full health and only now beginning to develop a gut.

[HOAX]

Cronic diseases hunts the whole world, not just Thailand. I read somewhere that 1/3 of the Thai population will at some point in their lifetime get cancer. That's the same as in Norway, but survival rate is a lot lower in Thailand.

Other than of course make us immune to cancer or something, Thailand must offer a lot more to the people. Follow-up-programs, better experts, more experts and letting people know the risks and what to do before you get cancer and when you suspect something wrong.

[seahorse]

Sugar in everything.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/04/20/sugar-dangers.aspx

[jaltsc]

"Deputy Public Health Minister Surawit Khonsomboon cited diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, vascular disease and cancer as five significant chronic diseases, resulting from a lack of exercise, obesity, insufficient fiber intake, smoking and alcohol addiction."

This is not a secret. As much as the Thais try and distance themselves from farangs verbally, they mimic the unhealthy western lifestyle. Lots of fried food loaded with saturated fats and sodium, taking a motor vehicle just to go to the corner 7-11 for a giant sugary drink and playing computer games all day long. When I arrived in Thailand 7 years ago, I only noticed a few obese children. Now it seems that almost one-third of all the school aged children I see are obese and riding motor bikes. With this inactive and unhealthy eating lifestyle beginning at such a young age, the 5 diseases mentioned above will reach epidemic proportions within the next 15 years.

Perhaps required exercise should replace required singing in the schools. Otherwise most of the songs sung in the future will be funeral chants.

[jerrysteve]

Nothing New Here Edited September 8, 2012 by jerrysteve

[asiawatcher]

Stating the obvious? How many public servants were engaged in the mindless activity, collation of 'facts' to arrive at a conclusion to be sprouted by the Deputy Minister as the mouth piece, of what Thailand already knew and cares nothing about it? Public servants... more like public time wasters - and these people get paid monthly from taxes raised from people who actually work for a living.

[Orac]

Nothing New Here

Actually there does appear to be something new here since the latest figures from WHO show an obesity rate of 7.8% in the Thai adult population which is the same as it was in 2003 and up from 6.8 % in 1997 so the figure quoted of 17 million Thais over 15 showing obesity either shows a remarkable increase since the latest set of WHO figures were taken or at least one of the sets of figures is questionable.

http://apps.who.int/bmi/index.jsp

[SOTIRIOS]

......pollution.................toxic substances.....heavy metals......

.....no regulation.....no enforcement..........and rampant corruption...........so what do you expect....

(.....a common practice is to pass reactions to toxins as 'allergies'....)

Edited September 8, 2012 by SOTIRIOS

[chainarong]

This headline must be repeated in nearly every country around the world.

Took the words right outa my mouth, now he is a big fella, although four axe handles across the arse, ain't great to look at , I think the Asian population and their physical build, look very bad when they over weight, only have to look at that kid in one of their TV soaps.

[simple1]

Thais eat large quantities of refined white rice (starch converts to sugar), cordials for flavouring water with very high sugar content, meals cooked with large amounts of sugar added, restaurants have sugar as a condiment, alcohol etc all of which contributes to causing Type 2 diabetes. The majority of my Thai family aged over 50 have Type 2 diabetes.

I have never heard of health education messages in the Thai media that talks to the risk of high sugar consumption, but Thais are aware of sugar as a cause of Type 2 diabetes (ภาษาไทย), but love sweet food and drinks, Thai phonetic spelling for diabetes - barwann.

[JSixpack]

Thais eat large quantities of refined white rice (starch converts to sugar), cordials for flavouring water with very high sugar content, meals cooked with large amounts of sugar added, restaurants have sugar as a condiment, alcohol etc all of which contributes to causing Type 2 diabetes. The majority of my Thai family aged over 50 have Type 2 diabetes.

I have never heard of health education messages in the Thai media that talks to the risk of high sugar consumption, but Thais are aware of sugar as a cause of Type 2 diabetes (ภาษาไทย), but love sweet food and drinks, Thai phonetic spelling for diabetes - barwann.

Exactly. It's not much about exercise--that's a red herring in the debate. It's all about diet: the sugar, white rice, noodles, and white flour in cakes etc. prompting high insulin levels to drive calories into fat cells. Inevitably, insulin resistance develops, obesity, and diabetes. I'm talking about the average metabolism.

It's almost impossible to persuade a Thai to give up the dangerous carbs.

[abhaya]

You'll feel stupid dying of nothing.

[villagefarang]

Much of the physical activity of village life is of the variety that breaks you down, rather than builds you up. It is hard but not in a healthy way. It is not aerobic and does not strengthen your heart, it is just dirty, hot and sweaty. Bending over in a rice field all day is not going to make you healthier or live longer.

[Ianatlarge]

Lets add a little controversy here. The average farlang I spy wandering the streets of the fair city of Pattaya is rarely a picture of perfect health or lifestyle. The point has been made that every country has this problem, Thailand more than most in the west, but it is a matter of degree rather than black and white division.

[davejones]

Thais eat large quantities of refined white rice (starch converts to sugar), cordials for flavouring water with very high sugar content, meals cooked with large amounts of sugar added, restaurants have sugar as a condiment, alcohol etc all of which contributes to causing Type 2 diabetes. The majority of my Thai family aged over 50 have Type 2 diabetes.

I have never heard of health education messages in the Thai media that talks to the risk of high sugar consumption, but Thais are aware of sugar as a cause of Type 2 diabetes (ภาษาไทย), but love sweet food and drinks, Thai phonetic spelling for diabetes - barwann.

Exactly. It's not much about exercise--that's a red herring in the debate. It's all about diet: the sugar, white rice, noodles, and white flour in cakes etc. prompting high insulin levels to drive calories into fat cells. Inevitably, insulin resistance develops, obesity, and diabetes. I'm talking about the average metabolism.

It's almost impossible to persuade a Thai to give up the dangerous carbs.

There was one guy in the UK that weighed about 40 stone (560lbs). He used to drink about 6 litres of coke every day. He stopped drinking it but continued to eat all the other junk food he ate and never exercised. But he lost 10 stone (140 lbs) very quickly just by giving up coke. Sugar is the biggest issue for most people that are obese.

[Card]

'Physical workouts' - how about doing some work instead of perching yourself on one of those ridiculous 'workout machines'? I am not addressing only Thais here.

I made a lot of good money mowing lawns for people that didn't have time, often enough because they had to go to a fitness club or sports club. At 64 I am in full health and only now beginning to develop a gut.

Get back to mowing those lawns, you serf!

[jambodave]

Much of the physical activity of village life is of the variety that breaks you down, rather than builds you up. It is hard but not in a healthy way. It is not aerobic and does not strengthen your heart, it is just dirty, hot and sweaty. Bending over in a rice field all day is not going to make you healthier or live longer.

Or finishing work and drinking a litre of Lao Khao,then driving home

[robblok]

In general i don't see many Thais really exercising. When the flooding happened and sand bags had to be filled and moved i was there and i easily outworked the Thais. Though its not really my style to do that kind of stuff.

But the biggest problem here is all the sugars and carbs that are taken. When i was trying to get back in shape the first thing that i did was stop going to Thai restaurants. I love em but the meals they make are not the most healthy ones. Too much sugar bad fats and carbs.

[Jim walker]

Of course we all know it’s all the bad farangs fault taking that wicked MacDonald’s and Burger Kings to Thailand and then forcing the fit slim Thai children to go in at eat them three times a day.

[soundman]

I have removed a derogatory post and all the associated replies.

7) Not to post slurs or degrading comments directed towards any group on the basis of race, nationality, religion, gender or sexual orientation.

8) Not to post extremely negative views of Thailand or derogatory comments directed towards all Thais.

[Rimmer]

I have just remove one Blatant racist post for which the poster will get a warning and maybe even a holiday.

There are now too many replies to it to remove. If you see posts like these do not quote them, please press the report button and let a moderator take care of it.

[cooked]

'Physical workouts' - how about doing some work instead of perching yourself on one of those ridiculous 'workout machines'? I am not addressing only Thais here.

I made a lot of good money mowing lawns for people that didn't have time, often enough because they had to go to a fitness club or sports club. At 64 I am in full health and only now beginning to develop a gut.

Get back to mowing those lawns, you serf!

I was free as a bird as to how I organised my day. You wouldn't be about to be banned for being disagreeable by any chance, would you? I earned more than most wage slaves, took two months holiday a year, probably shagged more lonely housewives than most.. in short, get back to your bar stool if you can manage to stagger over there.

[arthurwait]

While true it could be the same story the world over. It's mainly obesity in other countries. Every person I know here that has had their cholestoral and blood sugar tested has bad levels. Lots of them are slim. It's more hidden in that way. People associating thin with being healthy. So how many people that are thin and can't afford testing don't know they are in danger. Education is needed on this. Not just slimming pills for fat middle class kids when they go to university and have to fit in the uniform.

While western junk food certainly hasn't helped the people who can afford it, the main culprit is Thai food especially street food which usually contains lots of sugar and forms of cholestoral often deep fried in more cholestoral because it tastes good and starch to pad it out with MSG to make it taste even better. Education is needed.

[Bagwan]

Lets add a little controversy here. The average farlang I spy wandering the streets of the fair city of Pattaya is rarely a picture of perfect health or lifestyle. The point has been made that every country has this problem, Thailand more than most in the west, but it is a matter of degree rather than black and white division.

I assume that you are including the body building freaks that spend a fortune in gyms so as to look even weirder than Charles Atlas only to find in later years that the body beautiful (at least to them) has turned to fat.

In the matter of allergies, given that at least 4 different medications are prescribed by Thai doctors for any ailment, who is to know, particularly the guy riding in the Pattaya baht bus, what is causing an adverse reaction? Yesterday I attended a hospital and was asked by the pharmacist, not the doctor who prescribed you should note, whether I had any allergies. I replied , "Only to Thai policemen." She shared the joke with her colleagues and suddenly I was confronted with a number of staff grinning like Cheshire Cats.

To combat the problem that is the theme of this thread it will be necessary that the message is put across to the public that you, and nobody else, are resposible for your body,.Treat it kindly and your problems will be minimised. What are the chances of such a campaign being successful i.e. a Thai person being held responsible for anything? What are the chances of a Thai daring to ask a doctor to explain what is wrong with them, what has caused it and what can they do to avoid future problems, not only in their own case, but possibly also that of their families? I am told that there are dieticians in some of the better hospitals but I have never come across one. Why not print out diet sheets that a doctor can hand to any patient that he/she thinks could do with losing a few pounds, or for the younger element here, kilos, and explain the benefits of staying in a reasonably good trim?

Why do I feel like that I am baying at the moon? Oh! My addled, aging brain forgot the obvious. TIT.

[Bagwan]

'Physical workouts' - how about doing some work instead of perching yourself on one of those ridiculous 'workout machines'? I am not addressing only Thais here.

I made a lot of good money mowing lawns for people that didn't have time, often enough because they had to go to a fitness club or sports club. At 64 I am in full health and only now beginning to develop a gut.

Get back to mowing those lawns, you serf!

I was free as a bird as to how I organised my day. You wouldn't be about to be banned for being disagreeable by any chance, would you? I earned more than most wage slaves, took two months holiday a year, probably shagged more lonely housewives than most.. in short, get back to your bar stool if you can manage to stagger over there.

WOW! I shall make a note to never rev you up. Take a few deep breaths and loosen up. The responent was just being flippantly humourous. I'm sure he wasn't trying to be derogatory or insulting.

BTW did you ever shag my first wife? If so, it was an heroic act and I'll strike a medal for you. On the other hand you could have been really desperate.

Edited September 8, 2012 by Bagwan

[rubl]

Chronic diseases haunt Thai population

Just reading the topic title I though we had another on corruption

[robblok]

Lets add a little controversy here. The average farlang I spy wandering the streets of the fair city of Pattaya is rarely a picture of perfect health or lifestyle. The point has been made that every country has this problem, Thailand more than most in the west, but it is a matter of degree rather than black and white division.

I assume that you are including the body building freaks that spend a fortune in gyms so as to look even weirder than Charles Atlas only to find in later years that the body beautiful (at least to them) has turned to fat.

In the matter of allergies, given that at least 4 different medications are prescribed by Thai doctors for any ailment, who is to know, particularly the guy riding in the Pattaya baht bus, what is causing an adverse reaction? Yesterday I attended a hospital and was asked by the pharmacist, not the doctor who prescribed you should note, whether I had any allergies. I replied , "Only to Thai policemen." She shared the joke with her colleagues and suddenly I was confronted with a number of staff grinning like Cheshire Cats.

To combat the problem that is the theme of this thread it will be necessary that the message is put across to the public that you, and nobody else, are resposible for your body,.Treat it kindly and your problems will be minimised. What are the chances of such a campaign being successful i.e. a Thai person being held responsible for anything? What are the chances of a Thai daring to ask a doctor to explain what is wrong with them, what has caused it and what can they do to avoid future problems, not only in their own case, but possibly also that of their families? I am told that there are dieticians in some of the better hospitals but I have never come across one. Why not print out diet sheets that a doctor can hand to any patient that he/she thinks could do with losing a few pounds, or for the younger element here, kilos, and explain the benefits of staying in a reasonably good trim?

Why do I feel like that I am baying at the moon? Oh! My addled, aging brain forgot the obvious. TIT.

Of course people are responsible for their own body. But without education about food and working out it wont ever work. But remember good food is more expensive then crap food so its an income and education thing. Plus people in general care about taste not health.