I found the reason why most Thais are thin

[SICHONSTEVE]

As for the masks protecting the pregnant women--or anyone else for that matter, those cheap, off-the-shelf masks are of minimal value (if that) in filtering out pollutants. They work fine keeping mosquitoes out of your mouth, but only look silly on people thinking the masks are filtering pollution. Actually, a dirty, clogged mask will inhibit breathing, which could result in other problems (pulmonary edema) especially if the mask fits tightly. And, of course, the mask ought to form a seal against the wearer's face so that airflow is limited to the filter intake.

Pollution in an urban traffic setting, consists of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide (and various other sulfur compounds), nitric/nitrous oxide (and various other nitrogen compounds), and soot (which contains a significant amount of unburned hydrocarbons). (Lead used to be a significant component of exhaust, but is no longer, with unleaded gasoline.) Of these, only the soot is really "visible", while the sulfur and nitrogen compounds can contribute to "yellow haze".

One of the better reasons for wearing a cheap mask--even a handkerchief--would be if one was sick, or perhaps worked in food service, and wanted to take precautions against sneezing onto others or into their food. Yummy.

A simple filter mask will remove only the soot (if that). You need a mask containing at least a reasonable layer of activated charcoal (ie, a canister) to remove much of the others. The masks I see advertised just have a thin layer of "activated charcoal cloth" or some such, not enough to make a noticeable difference.

Totally irrelevant!!

I think that it has already been established that pollutants have nothing to do with the obesity problem in Thailand (or anywhere else for that matter).

[NoshowJones]

You'll find that in Thailand, the higher the pollution level of a province, the higher the average weight is. Thai people are thinner because they eat less and move more.

Thai people move more???? Some of them can't even go into a market without riding their motors bikes, It is so simple to leave the motorbike outside and walk instead of pumping their horn to get past you in a 6 ft wide passageway.

[Emdog]

I would guess that thinness would be a result of evolution and genetics. A person doesn't need body fat to stay warm in the tropics, quite the opposite. Unlike we farangs who evolved to store fat..... That said, nurture (if that is what it could be called when loading up at McDonalds) can trump nature. Hating to exercise lends a hand also, of course.

Edited October 24, 2013 by Emdog

[NoshowJones]

I think you will find theres a combiantion of factors including.......

Social pressure

Spicy food

Genuine malnourishment

Tapeworm infestation

This is a lot of nonsense. Talk to a doctor and they will make you even a more advanced member.

It is not a lot of nonsense, you are only new to this forum, so you would not have read the Blethers story. A lot of Thaivisa posters have, and will understand.

[SICHONSTEVE]

I think you will find theres a combiantion of factors including.......

Social pressure

Spicy food

Genuine malnourishment

Tapeworm infestation

This is a lot of nonsense. Talk to a doctor and they will make you even a more advanced member.

It is not a lot of nonsense, you are only new to this forum, so you would not have read the Blethers story. A lot of Thaivisa posters have, and will understand.

Sorry, I hate to dispel your held belief on your 'super heroes life experiences' but IT IS nonsense!!!

[willyumiii]

I've been coming to Thailand for about 13 years and living here full time for over 2 years now.

When I first visited Thailand, I noticed that if I saw an obese person in the distance, I was 98% sure they were a farang,,or at least not Thai.

Now obesity has become some what common place with Thais as well, especially in the children .

I suspect the overall diet has improved if not just increased.

But I also suspect it has to do with more soda pop, chips or crisps as the Brits call them and in more developed areas, Mac Donald's, KFC, Pizza and other western junk food.

I spend a lot of time working with children and it is sad to see kids as young as 5 shaped like basket balls.

Progress is not always a good thing

[NoshowJones]

I think you will find theres a combiantion of factors including.......

Social pressure

Spicy food

Genuine malnourishment

Tapeworm infestation

This is a lot of nonsense. Talk to a doctor and they will make you even a more advanced member.

It is not a lot of nonsense, you are only new to this forum, so you would not have read the Blethers story. A lot of Thaivisa posters have, and will understand.

Sorry, I hate to dispel your held belief on your 'super heroes life experiences' but IT IS nonsense!!!

We will have to agree to disagree.

[laislica]

I haven't read all the posts but.

In the UK, last century in the Bolton area, people were very poor and worked in the mills. This combination lead to smaller and thinner bodies.

Years ago you would see tiny grand parents whos children were bigger than them and the grand children bigger again.

All down to nutrition I believe. Now they are chunkies due to too much money, junk food and don't forget the effects of Aspartame.
Back in the day, play time was running about outside in the fresh air.

Now it is sitting in a comfortable chair with some computerised gadget.

This could also be seen in Andalucia, Spain.

Poor diet = smaller, thinner people.

But not any more.

I´m sure TV readers have seen this happen in many parts of the world.

I did like the post about "cake retention"

[Beetlejuice]

Most weight loss suffered by Thais is caused by the stress of worrying what is going to be said next about them on Thai visa.

[phantomfiddler]

What a load of nonsense ! 30 odd years ago thais WERE slender, but now thanks to McDonalds, Pizza Hut, and Kentucky Fried Chicken, 85% of thai ladies down Pattaya way are overweight, many grossly so.

[Khun Jean]

I think it is the alcohol that did that, and not moving at all, even when hired to do so.

[HOOD Robin]

You'll find that in Thailand, the higher the pollution level of a province, the higher the average weight is. Thai people are thinner because they eat less and move more.

Move more ??

dont see them move much.... unless they are on the run for the cops, then they are faster than Carl Lewis

[SICHONSTEVE]

You'll find that in Thailand, the higher the pollution level of a province, the higher the average weight is. Thai people are thinner because they eat less and move more.

Move more ??

dont see them move much.... unless they are on the run for the cops, then they are faster than Carl Lewis

You are revealing your age a bit as most people would have used Usain Bolt as the example!!

[MJP]

Took the kids round to see their friends two towns over today. The brother of the friends mother turned up. Nice lad. Must weigh in at over 160kgs! Family concerned about his health.

When these folks get fat, man do they get FAT!!!

It's a big and growing problem.

[belg]

guys, just watch

"food inc" or "food matters"

your hamburger bread is made by corn (bread - to last long & is cheap) , your meat is corn fed (to make it gain weight quickly), your ketchup has high fructose corn sirup in it, same as your soda

and your fries are fried in corn or palm oil

afterwards you have your HFCS laden sunday or icecream horn

poor people like cheap food, as fruit specially is rather expensive for thai norms

[kevozman1]

guys, just watch

"food inc" or "food matters"

your hamburger bread is made by corn (bread - to last long & is cheap) , your meat is corn fed (to make it gain weight quickly), your ketchup has high fructose corn sirup in it, same as your soda

and your fries are fried in corn or palm oil

afterwards you have your HFCS laden sunday or icecream horn

poor people like cheap food, as fruit specially is rather expensive for thai norms

You can buy literally carrier bags full of fresh fruit in Thailand for the same cost of a shitburger and fries from Mc Donalds.

[connda]

If they are eating traditional Thai food than they eat a balance diet.

It's the pudgy little fat boys and girls that are gobbling up the corporate-mass-made, GMO, highly-processed junk food that Westerners live on. Heck, I lost 6 kilos the first year I was here by just changing my diet to Thai food.

Trust me -- its a no-brainer!

[SICHONSTEVE]

If they are eating traditional Thai food than they eat a balance diet.

It's the pudgy little fat boys and girls that are gobbling up the corporate-mass-made, GMO, highly-processed junk food that Westerners live on. Heck, I lost 6 kilos the first year I was here by just changing my diet to Thai food.

Trust me -- its a no-brainer!

The last 3 posts illustrate the fact that not everyone is ignorant of the facts!!! Can't say much for the other postings though.

[connda]

Air pollution linked to lower birth weights.

<deleted>. Not the current generation of Thais. One more generation and they're going to be having the same problems with obesity as Westerners. IMHO

[uptheos]

"Would you care to tell me how many of these outlets there are in a country of 66,000,000 people? I don't think you wouyld as it would make your statement look ridicules."

Well, Thailand is the second most obese nation in ASEAN (32% of population) after Malaysia (44%), if statistics are to be believed. They also have many more McDonalds outlets that most other ASEAN members.

Vietnam apparently doesn't have McDonalds yet (the first one is due to open next year) and they have the least obesity (only 10%)

May have some correlation. I mean, who would have thought, people could get fat from eating junk food.

I do NOT believe 32 percent of Thais are OBESE.

No way.

Obesity is a specific clinical term.

It is not the same thing as OVERWEIGHT (which is above "ideal weight" according to rough insurance charts but not so heavy as to be clinically obese).

The USA is approximately 1/3 obese, 1/3 overweight (meaning a good portion of those aren't fat to a degree that is a major health risk, in fact some "overweight" is very helpful in combating some life stresses and diseases), and 1/3 "normal" weight or underweight (which has specific health risks in itself).

So in conclusion Thailand 32 percent obese, about the same as the USA -- got to be very wrong.

Obesity (and overweight) is an increasing trend in Thailand of course but they've got a way to get to Mexican levels (the most obese large population nation in the world now).

This is a common mistake, calling all people the slightest bit "overweight" obese but it is simply not the case.

I reckon most all of us who have been living in Thailand a long time have noticed that Thai youth is indeed getting fatter and fatter. This is a SERIOUS health concern, as obese children for most part are destined to be obese adults, so they have acquired a very unfortunate lifetime health problem that with current medical therapies is extremely difficult to reverse long term. (Contrary to popular belief, simple "will power" is massively ineffective as a long term solution.) The Thai government really should focus hard on preventing CHILDHOOD obesity here. I have no confidence they will do any such thing though.

I suppose being American you will swing it that way, but according to Reuters, Mexico is 30% whilst USA is top at 34%. Followed by NZ, Australia, UK, Canada, Ireland and Chile in that order.

[Jingthing]

That is dated info. Mexico's lead was recent.

Sent from my GT-S5360B using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Kudel]

If they are eating traditional Thai food than they eat a balance diet.

It's the pudgy little fat boys and girls that are gobbling up the corporate-mass-made, GMO, highly-processed junk food that Westerners live on. Heck, I lost 6 kilos the first year I was here by just changing my diet to Thai food.

Trust me -- its a no-brainer!

Older Thai people have health problems because of not enough calcium in theyre diet and also a high rate of cancers nasty pesticides maybe.

Most of the older woman in my ex-wifes village are overweight and they dont eat mickey d on a daily basis,but local food wich contains bucketloads of sugar and other complex carbohydrates.

[uptheos]

That is dated info. Mexico's lead was recent.

Sent from my GT-S5360B using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

I knew you would say that.

You are actually correct.

Edited October 24, 2013 by uptheos

[MJP]

If they are eating traditional Thai food than they eat a balance diet.

It's the pudgy little fat boys and girls that are gobbling up the corporate-mass-made, GMO, highly-processed junk food that Westerners live on. Heck, I lost 6 kilos the first year I was here by just changing my diet to Thai food.

Trust me -- its a no-brainer!

Older Thai people have health problems because of not enough calcium in theyre diet and also a high rate of cancers nasty pesticides maybe.

Most of the older woman in my ex-wifes village are overweight and they dont eat mickey d on a daily basis,but local food wich contains bucketloads of sugar and other complex carbohydrates.

Sticky rice and MSG, laden with high glycemic index carbohydrate, all sugar coated. Another neighbour passed away yesterday due to complications from diabetes. His funeral is tomorrow I think. He was fifty years old.

As rice goes only low GI black/red rice is permitted in my house. No sugar or MSG or palm oil ever crosses the threshold. No red meat only chicken with the skin removed and fat trimmed. Junk food is restricted to a box of Beng Beng in the cupboard for rare treats. Vitamin supplements and cod liver oil are administered each morning. No need for the kids to end up with avoidable health problems . . . like Dad.

Edited October 24, 2013 by MJP

[uptheos]

If they are eating traditional Thai food than they eat a balance diet.

It's the pudgy little fat boys and girls that are gobbling up the corporate-mass-made, GMO, highly-processed junk food that Westerners live on. Heck, I lost 6 kilos the first year I was here by just changing my diet to Thai food.

Trust me -- its a no-brainer!

Older Thai people have health problems because of not enough calcium in theyre diet and also a high rate of cancers nasty pesticides maybe.

Most of the older woman in my ex-wifes village are overweight and they dont eat mickey d on a daily basis,but local food wich contains bucketloads of sugar and other complex carbohydrates.

Sticky rice and MSG, laden with high glycemic index carbohydrate, all sugar coated. Another neighbour passed away yesterday due to complications from diabetes. His funeral is tomorrow I think. He was fifty years old.

As rice goes only low GI black/red rice is permitted in my house. No sugar or MSG or palm oil ever crosses the threshold. No red meat only chicken with the skin removed and fat trimmed. Junk food is restricted to a box of Beng Beng in the cupboard for rare treats. Vitamin supplements and cod liver oil are administered each morning. No need for the kids to end up with avoidable health problems . . . like Dad.

I used to line up for cod liver oil and malt at primary school.......can't recall if they washed or used separate spoons though. Were you in the army by any chance, you sound quite disciplined.

[MJP]

If they are eating traditional Thai food than they eat a balance diet.

It's the pudgy little fat boys and girls that are gobbling up the corporate-mass-made, GMO, highly-processed junk food that Westerners live on. Heck, I lost 6 kilos the first year I was here by just changing my diet to Thai food.

Trust me -- its a no-brainer!

Older Thai people have health problems because of not enough calcium in theyre diet and also a high rate of cancers nasty pesticides maybe.

Most of the older woman in my ex-wifes village are overweight and they dont eat mickey d on a daily basis,but local food wich contains bucketloads of sugar and other complex carbohydrates.

Sticky rice and MSG, laden with high glycemic index carbohydrate, all sugar coated. Another neighbour passed away yesterday due to complications from diabetes. His funeral is tomorrow I think. He was fifty years old.

As rice goes only low GI black/red rice is permitted in my house. No sugar or MSG or palm oil ever crosses the threshold. No red meat only chicken with the skin removed and fat trimmed. Junk food is restricted to a box of Beng Beng in the cupboard for rare treats. Vitamin supplements and cod liver oil are administered each morning. No need for the kids to end up with avoidable health problems . . . like Dad.

I used to line up for cod liver oil and malt at primary school.......can't recall if they washed or used separate spoons though. Were you in the army by any chance, you sound quite disciplined.

Never in the army, but work at the hard and nasty end of land regeneration contracting, major projects. It's similar.

[ToddWeston]

If they are eating traditional Thai food than they eat a balance diet.

It's the pudgy little fat boys and girls that are gobbling up the corporate-mass-made, GMO, highly-processed junk food that Westerners live on. Heck, I lost 6 kilos the first year I was here by just changing my diet to Thai food.

Trust me -- its a no-brainer!

The last 3 posts illustrate the fact that not everyone is ignorant of the facts!!! Can't say much for the other postings though.

I agree - weight gain is easy, weight loss is hard - understood. I have noticed in the 20 plus years the rise in weight here, and I would hear the stories having a fat child is a sign of affluence blah blah blah. I'm surprised my Thai family aren't porkers as no one can cook and they tend to eat out a lot. MK is their favourite and they do like veg.

The obese want to find blame and to a certain degree I agree big Agra (Monsanto) pushing as much as 40% GMO corn into the human food chain is simply wrong, the animal feed industry is as much as 90%. GMO food is complex but in a nutshell the food is made to be herbicide resistant - and produces it's on insecticide, these toxins are still being tested and tested and tested, whilst millions of burgers are sold around the globe. McDonald's IMO are corn distributors disguised as a restaurant

As an example of the chaos - food colouring, a big part of the food industry causes hyperactivity in children, "E" colours have been banned for a few years in baby food in the west and just this week they are calling for it to be dropped from prescriptions and OTC meds....... how is this crap able to get into the food chain in the first place ? And is it still present in all the neon coloured candy ? How many kids have been diagnosed with ADHD yet eat a high caloric bag of gummie bears.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/children_shealth/10395491/Additives-in-Calpol-should-be-banned-due-to-hyperactivity-in-children.html

Side note - there was a huge controversy in my home country over "Atlantic Salmon" when it was reported it was farm raised in Chile in conditions - well you can imagine. The general population had NO idea Atlantic Salmon is the species and no idea where it was harvested, and I lived in a fishing community

[bangkokfanatic]

C'mon guys, it's not their fault, Western women are just "bigger-boned"....

[AYJAYDEE]

C'mon guys, it's not their fault, Western women are just "bigger-boned"....

why do you limit yourself to western women?

[hellodolly]

"Would you care to tell me how many of these outlets there are in a country of 66,000,000 people? I don't think you wouyld as it would make your statement look ridicules."

Well, Thailand is the second most obese nation in ASEAN (32% of population) after Malaysia (44%), if statistics are to be believed. They also have many more McDonalds outlets that most other ASEAN members.

Vietnam apparently doesn't have McDonalds yet (the first one is due to open next year) and they have the least obesity (only 10%)

May have some correlation. I mean, who would have thought, people could get fat from eating junk food.

You could have just said I don't know.

Statistics is a five year collage course you can use them to say anything you want. Now facts that would be a better base to work from.

for instance you say they have more McDonald's than most other ASEAN members. In other words they don't have the most and they are second in obesity.

I repeat can any one tell me how many of these fast food outlets there are in a nation of 66,000,000 people.

If there are statistics they will be derived from numbers so it is a known number.

I am not a nutrisionest and would love to find one here in Chiuang Mai but I don't think white rice is supposed to be a slimming food. Yet look at the amount the Thais eat.

I am glad (and can see) that you are not a nutritionist as you cannot spell it.

Also, because Thai's eat so much white rice this is one partial cause of obesity in Thailand as it is pure carbohydrate that turns to sugar and then fat. The most obvious causes though are that they eat too much fast food, deep fried foods fried in 'bad oils' and make such poor choices in what they drink.

What you say about statistics is pure bunkum and if you go on a collage course you won't study statistics.

I don't think that you have got ANYTHING right here so probably not one of your best posts!!!

I can't spell worth a hoot and apparently my spell check can't either. I pretty well figured that the white rice was a no no as you say but for some reason my wife gets away with it.

About statistics actually I was just repeating what my Physcology (as I said me and my spell check can't spell) teacher said. He was talking about a fifth year statistics class in collage he took.

Mainly my point was how many fast food operations are there in Thailand. As you can see people blame them and you are the only one so far that has pointed out the problems with rice.

I think that for a lot of them the western mechanized society has made work easier for them so they don't work as hard as they use to. Hence they gain weight.

That is not to say that fast food franchises don't add to the problem but no where near what many think.