Thailand ranks second in ASEAN for prevalence of obesity

[Lite Beer]

Thailand ranks second in ASEAN for prevalence of obesity
By Digital Content

BANGKOK, June 17 -- A recent study shows that Thais are tending to have more tendency to become obese, as the country now ranked second in ASEAN for the most people with obesity.

During the opening ceremony of the National Health Assembly 2013, the assembly's organising committee President, Dr Sirina Pawarorarnwittaya revealed the speculated tendency of Thai people's health for 2014 that more Thais would become obese due to the current eating habits.

She said data from 2009 showed that Bangkokians were most at risk of becoming obese most, while the northeastern region showed the least risk of contracting the disease.

The data reflected that obesity is usually caused among city people who are well off and receive higher salaries than those who live in the countryside.

As for the ranking of obesity in the ASEAN region, Thailand came second after Malaysia, with the highest number of people with the disease. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2014-06-17

[khwaibah]

Come on Thailand you can be NUMBER 1 at this.

[HeijoshinCool]

Few more years, they'll look like Texans.

[pinkpanther99]

You think this is a problem now, wait until the current school kids are 30,40 or approaching middle age.

Have you seen what they let Thai kids eat for breakfast in school: ice cream, french fries, sodas, fried chicken and other fried stuff on a stick, even ice cream sandwiches!

There needs to be some serious and urgent education on nutrition not just to the kids but to parents, teachers and school directors.

[Hawk]

Come on Thailand you can be NUMBER 1 at this.

Exactly, arrogant disregard of advice will soon increase your size and the new hub of Asian bloats will become a firm reality. Keep eating folks, its good for you(?).

I heard that Thai airways are already putting in wider seats on their planes to accommodate the ever expanding Thai public. Planes for real jumbos.

[starky]

Nobody for a cheeseburger then?

[ratcatcher]

Come on Thailand you can be NUMBER 1 at this.

They are working on it. Who wants fish and rice when you can have good western nutrition?

[pinkpanther99]

Business idea

Start selling deep fried mars bars in Thailand - you'd make a fortune

[UbonRatch]

I never knew obesity is a disease:

"She said data from 2009 showed that Bangkokians were most at risk of becoming obese most, while the northeastern region showed the least risk of contracting the disease."

I always thought obesity was a condition or presumed dependency, such as alcoholism, as opposed to a contagious, tractable transformational disease?

Obesity is lessened in the likes of Laos and Myanmar because Western foods, such as Macs' and KFC are expensive and limited to the few financially adept.

Thailand's infrastructure is well bred for distribution of goods, albeit not for decentralisation of quality people.

[robertthebruce]

Thai Food, is heavy salted and also heavy sugared, most drinks contain spoons of sugar or syrup....

I always ask No Sugar and also no Salt whenever I eat out.

As for Drinks. If it's not 100 percent fresh and free from Sugar and Syrup I won't touch it..

Being Western it's so easy to pile on the pounds over here, we just have to watch what we eat....

[sprq]

Obesity is not a disease, MCOT. Do try harder. It is a pain to see, though.

[Cuchulainn]

Hub of fat feckers!!

[shawndoc]

You think this is a problem now, wait until the current school kids are 30,40 or approaching middle age.

Have you seen what they let Thai kids eat for breakfast in school: ice cream, french fries, sodas, fried chicken and other fried stuff on a stick, even ice cream sandwiches!

There needs to be some serious and urgent education on nutrition not just to the kids but to parents, teachers and school directors.

So what you are saying is I need to somehow enroll in a Thai primary school?

[PungShoeWrote]

They have the slimming scam businesses in place in every mall; the Fat Camps are called Muay Thai fitness centers and eating disorder hospitals for the Binge and Barf are the new rage in BKK.

If it works in the Western countries, it will work in Asia. The whole GD world is fat now, but one day They'll take all the food away for the slave class and then it's on...

[chainarong]

I have notice with alarm the number of over weight police officers ,since the coup,directing something or other on the TV news hour , (generally another bus crash ,45 dead or something) and I can't help thinking , that they are all beginning to look like me , around the stomach area I mean.

[Thai at Heart]

Thanks cp

[SunsetT]

If Thailand is 2nd then Thailand is not the 'Hub' of fat people is it Thaivisa email newsletter team? Not just bad email headline but false!

[Miami Bob]

Western diet creeping in. When I left the USA 11 years ago figures were 60% of the population overweight with 27% of those obese. The new figures I am seeing are now 70% overweight with 37% obese. I don't think Briton is far behind from the TV special have seen. Anyway, obesity is not really a disease at least according to the head of the San Fran obesity clinic who refers to these people as "victims" of big food pushing sugary food and drink on the public especially targeting the kids. Now the corporate greed has found it's way here.

[eusabai]

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During the past year The American Medical Association classified obesity as a disease. This has financial as well as social consequences. The obese can now use health insurance for treatments, and doctors can tell their fat patients they are "sick" which might encourage them to work hareder to lose weight. Also, it has been shown recently that sugar is worse than fat.

Eusabai

Obesity is not a disease, MCOT. Do try harder. It is a pain to see, though.

[Shamrock 1234]

There is a real need for nutritional information amongst the Thai public. The Thai diet is not very healthy as the accent is on too much deep frying, usually with oils that have been used and then re-used meaning they are thoroughly rancid. Sugar is in practically everything. It is absurd to put three teaspoons of sugar in a cup of coffee! Then to compound the problem the American fast food franchises appear on the scene. The first target is school children, and the results are there for all to see!.It would be really refreshing to see the media discussing this problem in a helpful manner

[3SoiDogNight]

Looks like I'm in the right country. I like chubby girls!

Thai Food, is heavy salted and also heavy sugared, most drinks contain spoons of sugar or syrup....

Being Western it's so easy to pile on the pounds over here, we just have to watch what we eat....

Agreed!

Farangs are so quick to blame McDonald's or KFC for being unhealthy. Thai food is very unhealthy yet farangs get all excited when they see noodles an vegetables. Thai food is often fried, has lots of sugar and salt added an vegetables lose their nutritious value once you start cooking them. Those have to be eaten raw.

A plate of pad thai has more calories than a Big Mac.

[atyclb]

If their study were to include farang expats they'd be #1

[Larry001]

Another high ranking for Thailand. You need to be physically active through work or exercise to burn off all the caleories one eats!

[Pib]

If it ain't sweet tasting Thais won't eat or drink it. Gotta have that sugar!!! And don't forget to throw in plenty of foods high in cholesterol. In a market have you even noticed how many of the stalls sell deserts, sweet foods, usually with bees flying around getting their sugar high...probably around 1 in 5 stalls.

[Thainess]

Yep, noticed this... As a sex tourist (perv) of discernment, I stopped coming to Thailand over 2 years ago due the fact that I can't find slim girls to my liking any more. I now get my sex tourism fix in Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia now instead! The girls are still super-slim there! Sorry Thailand, but I'm just not attracted to doughy girls!

[marko kok prong]

Last time i was in the big tesco in Petchabun,the mother had about 20 donuts on the tray,her two chubby little emporer's ,salivating as they looked wide eyed at the tray,as they waddled in front of me,when was the last time if ever they kicked a football around i wondered,i could see them on their i pad's at home scoffing donut's,drinking coca cola,thing is in twenty years they could have serious health problems,it was obvious to me donut's were the last thing they needed,but how could Mummy deny,her two little king's,and therein lies a lot of the problem,plus the fact that kon Thai like to eat every 2 hour's,when i first came here in 1989,you could hardly even get bread,i don't recall seeing many fat people then.

[Yann55]

I just came back from Indonesia and was shocked by the number of obese kids I saw there. Not surprised that Malaysia comes first though because that's also what I saw in KL. And yes, we see it happening in Thailand, especially in the big cities.

Now.... who do Asian kids have to thank for all this junk food and acquired bad eating habits ?

Ooops... sorry... of course they can resist, can't they ? resist junk food, resist appalling TV series, resist lousy muzak, and the list goes on ....

[oztaurus]

Obesity is not a disease, MCOT. Do try harder. It is a pain to see, though.

Sorry ....

Yes it is now, since about this time last year.

[techboy]

Another "recent study". All crapola as far as I am concerned. Just target results you want and chose the correct people within your "random cross-section". Keeps someone employed I guess. Sorry- "studies" are such BS.

Edited June 17, 2014 by techboy

[Yann55]

There is a real need for nutritional information amongst the Thai public. The Thai diet is not very healthy as the accent is on too much deep frying, usually with oils that have been used and then re-used meaning they are thoroughly rancid. Sugar is in practically everything. It is absurd to put three teaspoons of sugar in a cup of coffee! Then to compound the problem the American fast food franchises appear on the scene. The first target is school children, and the results are there for all to see!.It would be really refreshing to see the media discussing this problem in a helpful manner

You're right, Shamrock, there is a real need for nutritional information in this country. Just like in the US, where nutritional information is all over the place, and see how well it works, especially in the Midwest

Interesting to note : In the West obesity hits the poorer people whereas here it's a sign of wealth, at least for the time being.

Edited June 17, 2014 by Yann55