FDA blames Japanese anime for Thai teens' obsession with body image

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FDA blames Japanese anime for Thai teens' obsession with body image
By Coconuts Bangkok


"Lum Invader" the female protagonist from Rumiko Takahashi's manga and anime series Urusei Yatsura

BANGKOK: -- Female teens around the world suffer from body image insecurity and eating disorders, but the motives might have some regional differences.

So why do Thai girls feel insecure about their bodies and adopt insane methods to lose weight?

A top public health official has identified a foreign social evil that’s responsible for robbing Thai teens of their confidence: Japanese anime.

Thai teenagers are obsessed with the unrealistic skinny bodies they see in Japanese anime, so they use dangerous diet pills and get addicted to coffee and tea, according to Prapon Angtrakul, deputy secretary general of the Food and Drugs Administration.

The FDA seems to think Thai teens look to Sailor Moon and Chobits for role models, despite the abundance of silicon-stuffed actresses and stick-figure fashion models in local media.

Once again, the message is admirable even if the argument seems unsound: Diet pills are often sold without FDA approval and contain illegal drugs with life-threatening side effects such as fenfluramine, dexfenfluramine, sibutramine. [read more...]

Full story: http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2014/02/17/fda-blames-japanese-anime-thai-teens-obsession-body-image


-- Coconuts Bangkok 2014-02-17

[toybits]

Shouldn't the FDA blame MCOT for allowing TV stations and comic book printers for that?

Edited February 17, 2014 by toybits

[ThaiRich]

Has anyone else ever noticed when there is a problem with something in Thailand it is always a foreigners fault?

[animatic]

It is quite obviously fantasy and not any form of reality, at most cosplay acting out.

So, why can the FDA assume anyone else can't see that?

Oh yes, because the FDA brass can't see that.

[englishoak]

Has anyone else ever noticed when there is a problem with something in Thailand it is always a foreigners fault?

Yup, get used to it... its all part of thainessss

[Briggsy]

Show me a society where teenagers are not obsessed with body image? More garbage from ageing senior members of society saying the first things that come into their head.

[casindonet]

FDA is accusing japanese cartoons for all the problems....so would it be too much for me say that thai teens are very stupid indeed to take cartoons as their role model?

Sent from my GT-I9200 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[sjjmmi]

Never a Thai problem

[uty6543]

IMO Thai ladies are the most beautiful in the world. When you look at 18 year old's there are many nationalities that are equally as beautiful but they seem to lose there looks as they get older where as Thai ladies retain their looks much longer. There are many reason why i live in Thailand all the pretties to look at everyday is just one of them.

[Kerryd]

Need more examples, er, data in order to make an ill-formed conclusion. May have to spend hours and hours researching this problem. Then I'll have to spend days studying the current generation of (female) actresses and pop stars to try and make the determination about which has the greatest effect.

Better stock up on food and beverages, it's going to be a long, hard, hot, sweaty bout of....researching.....to be sure. But I'll do it ! I'll make the sacrifice. I'll do the....

Oh wait. Nevermind. Seems people in the government have already done it. Buggers probably got paid for it too !

[Mudlover]

What about Thai adults' obsession with body image? Who's to blame there?

[kotsak]

[Thai at Heart]

The 10mn images in thai television, magazines and what have you aren't to blame?

What next? Snowmen are to blame for obsession with white skin?

[h90]

Shouldn't the FDA blame MCOT for allowing TV stations and comic book printers for that?

or the parents....

[Why ask]

The image displayed above, and in most Japanese anime, is a heck of a lot more buxom than the average Thai teen figure, so how on earth can this idiot blame Japanese anime for Thai teens taking unhealthy and illegally produced drugs? These street drugs, offered in most pharmacies, as are most western drugs without a GPs prescription (copied, of course), are the responsibility of the FDA to track down and eliminate. However, as usual, they make so much money inspectors take back-handers, an ignore the issue.

Most Thai teenagers would be cramming Macdonald's down them to reach a figure like the anime shown above. Complete BS from the FDA idiot.

Edit: Additionally, I'd be very wary of blaming Japan for anything in the current financial climate.... Toyota is not tooo happy right now.....

Edited February 17, 2014 by Why ask

[transam]

What a surprise, I didn't think it had aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanything to do with LOS either. ..................

[h90]

IMO Thai ladies are the most beautiful in the world. When you look at 18 year old's there are many nationalities that are equally as beautiful but they seem to lose there looks as they get older where as Thai ladies retain their looks much longer. There are many reason why i live in Thailand all the pretties to look at everyday is just one of them.

Recently I was in Europe and you hardly find a 18 year old that isn't fat or looking otherwise extreme ugly....I was shocked how fat the people get...

Of course there are still beautiful one but the percentage is low.

[Sayonarax]

And all along i thought it was Korea, Thais were opposed with..

unless the girls read comic books too?

Did marvel and dc comics make us think we were Tony Stark or Bruce Wayne?

[bkkjames]

i must be old, could have sworn it was their obsession with korean soap operas?

[Sayonarax]

IMO Thai ladies are the most beautiful in the world. When you look at 18 year old's there are many nationalities that are equally as beautiful but they seem to lose there looks as they get older where as Thai ladies retain their looks much longer. There are many reason why i live in Thailand all the pretties to look at everyday is just one of them.

Recently I was in Europe and you hardly find a 18 year old that isn't fat or looking otherwise extreme ugly....I was shocked how fat the people get...

Of course there are still beautiful one but the percentage is low.

Aint that the truth.

I laugh at how fat my western family is and they ask me why im thin and fit.

[Why ask]

Did marvel and dc comics make us think we were Tony Stark or Bruce Wayne?

..

[Kilgore Trout]

Gotta blame someone

Don't want these kids getting addicted to tea and coffee; they might just ravage a starbucks or something

[Why ask]

"Thai teenagers are obsessed with the unrealistic skinny bodies they see in Japanese anime, so they use dangerous diet pills and get addicted to coffee and tea, according to Prapon Angtrakul, deputy secretary general of the Food and Drugs Administration."

Now, I'm even more confused. Teenagers get addicted to coffee and tea? jing lor? Since when?

When's the last time you saw a teenager craving for a coffee?

[bkkjames]

Sorry to disagree with the FDA but there is a saying, ice coffee ass. Look around, they are everywhere.

[transam]

Tomorrow it will be........

''The violence used in the current protest thing has all derived from farang land, nothing to do with us smilers''............. ...............

[RJF]

All problems in Thai society are ultimately caused by farangs. Or failing that, by the Japanese. Cambodians. Burmese. Aboriginals. Just not Thais, never Thais.

[bangkokheat]

i think this guy has ingested too much balah and thai drama

[bigbamboo]

IMO Thai ladies are the most beautiful in the world. When you look at 18 year old's there are many nationalities that are equally as beautiful but they seem to lose there looks as they get older where as Thai ladies retain their looks much longer. There are many reason why i live in Thailand all the pretties to look at everyday is just one of them.

They retain their looks I agree, some of them even manage to do it without surgery, but they aren't the prettiest and they most certainly aren't the sexiest.

[Thai at Heart]

IMO Thai ladies are the most beautiful in the world. When you look at 18 year old's there are many nationalities that are equally as beautiful but they seem to lose there looks as they get older where as Thai ladies retain their looks much longer. There are many reason why i live in Thailand all the pretties to look at everyday is just one of them.

They retain their looks I agree, some of them even manage to do it without surgery, but they aren't the prettiest and they most certainly aren't the sexiest.

And apparently , they are so beautiful, that those with the cash spend their life yearning for augmentation surgery.

Gross insecurity isn't the most endearing quality.

[uty6543]

IMO Thai ladies are the most beautiful in the world. When you look at 18 year old's there are many nationalities that are equally as beautiful but they seem to lose there looks as they get older where as Thai ladies retain their looks much longer. There are many reason why i live in Thailand all the pretties to look at everyday is just one of them.

They retain their looks I agree, some of them even manage to do it without surgery, but they aren't the prettiest and they most certainly aren't the sexiest.

In this thread I'm glad we disagree. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. No need for anyone to get into a fight over a pretty girl.