The Fattening of Thailand

[laislica]

The problem goes back to some bad science in the 60's, Dr Axel Keys thought that fat people were that way because they were lazy and ate too much and he set out to prove it.

He did a study of studies, and by excluding any study that didn't agree with his idea, he was able to "prove" that fat made you fat.

The American gov then gave subsidies to farmers to produce loads of cereals and corn. Food manufacturers removed fat but had to add sugars to make it palatable.

Sugar is addictive like heroin and as you become used to it you need more to get the same feel good feeling, seratonin and all that.

You consume empty calories. High fructose corn syrup is much sweeter than table sugar but it can only be processed in the liver - like alcohol, and we know that beer makes you fat.

Exercise?

Ever heard the expression that "I am working up an appetite?"

The real solution is to be given honest guidance, for health's sake, not for the profit of farmers, food amnufacturers, big pharma, doctors and the health care system.

Sure I have skipped over many facts in a unscientific way.

So What?

I don't need science to tell me what I can see with my own eyes.

Search the internet and watch the video Cereal Killers Don't Fear Fat.

I agree with the poster who said that a first step would be to drop sugar.

The trouble it is addictive and hard to stop.

White bread is almost as bad, try giving that up and start the craving!

We have been turned into legal junkies!

Don't believe me - then try to give up carbs for a week!

(Includes beer, spirits, cereals, pasta, potatoes, rice, many fruits etc)

You can eat green veg and meat with it's natural fat, and you must have that fat too because many minerals and vitamins are useless to your body unless you have sufficient fat in your diet.

Like eggs, chicken with the skin, meat with natural fat, butter, avocados, coconut oil, nuts, olive oil etc.

To the folk who want to beat me down for saying all this - go for it - I don't care, stay lost in the minutia and fail to see the big picture.

Good luck everyone.

[chongtak]

Thai food was probably healthy decades ago but it's now rarely the case. With far too much glutamate, sodium, sugar, and flour everywhere to save money, i don't see any healthy food in here.

[horsewell]

It's a number of factors and it's happening everywhere in the world. Not some conspiracy but sort of. We can look at the "types" of food, the portion size, the number of times and when we eat and the amount of physical activity we do to use the calories but it's more than that. The fact that all processed food has lots of sugar and preservatives that actually are killing us, slowing our metabolism and decimating the good bacterial that live in our bodies. The companies that produce this food are seeking to make the food so attractive that we can hardly resist. Our bodies are looking to maximise calories and processed food companies are looking to give us as many empty calories as we desire because empty calories mean that we will be back for more.

Anyway, I read an article on TV not so long ago that said something like 80% of fresh vegetable sellers surveyed in Bangkok markets put harmful preservatives on their produce in order to maximise profits (getting one or two more days before it starts rotting). It may seem good for you but it seems a lot more like a frying pan and fire situation.

[Jingthing]

Modernization ... Thailand has entered the global world of the obesity epidemic.

Where overweight issues are more of a health threat than hunger and starvation.

Rather than relying on tired old morality lectures from Grandma's era, perhaps start to get educated about how things really are different now?

I highly recommend this series.

The Men Who Made Us Fat

12 part series all on youtube.

Here is part one. The remainder available from there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iE-H__aIEFE&list=PLA0E2B2461B536A26&index=1&feature=plpp_video

After that, try, also multiple episodes.

The Men Who Made Us Thin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-_LoAm_etU

Yes, SUGAR is a big part of this. Used to be a luxury food. Now it's everyday, in large quantities, HIDDEN in all kinds of modern processed food (often you can't even taste it).

For Thailand it is not too late to avoid becoming the next BIG thing ... like Mexico, a middle wealth country that is incredibly obese. It is not only about the individual and not only about education. Changes in the FOOD INDUSTRY and involvement by government is absolutely necessary.

Edited September 4, 2014 by Jingthing

[robblok]

Modernization ... Thailand has entered the global world of the obesity epidemic.

Where overweight issues are more of a health threat than hunger and starvation.

Rather than relying on tired old morality lectures from Grandma's era, perhaps start to get educated about how things really are different now?

I highly recommend this series.

The Men Who Made Us Fat

12 part series all on youtube.

Here is part one. The remainder available from there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iE-H__aIEFE&list=PLA0E2B2461B536A26&index=1&feature=plpp_video

After that, try, also multiple episodes.

The Men Who Made Us Thin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-_LoAm_etU

Yes, SUGAR is a big part of this. Used to be a luxury food. Now it's everyday, in large quantities, HIDDEN in all kinds of modern processed food (often you can't even taste it).

For Thailand it is not too late to avoid becoming the next BIG thing ... like Mexico, a middle wealth country that is incredibly obese. It is not only about the individual and not only about education. Changes in the FOOD INDUSTRY and involvement by government is absolutely necessary.

Yes changes by the food industry are needed, but if people know what not to eat and don't buy the ready-made stuff the producers will follow with healthy alternatives automatically.

Its easy to say its the big food producers and the government to step in but guess what when you start to buy larger and larger clothes its quite a clear signal to do something yourself instead of waiting for government action. If educated in what is healthy then getting fat is a choice. A hard choice sure but a choice. (minor percentage of people excluded) Also of course it varies from person to person how hard it is as some have a far lower metabolic rate as others. We all know the thing guy or girl who can eat whatever they want (within limits) and a fatter guy that eats less as that guy and gains weight.

Life is not always fair and we have to make due with our genetics but it never makes staying on a healthy weight or loosing weight impossible.. just a lot harder for some with crappy genetics.

But mainly its over indulgence in foods and drinks that are bad for you and not caring that they are choosing the food over weight. Many people here that I knew as a boy (holiday back in the Netherlands) have let themselves go and you see it by what they eat. Others kept in shape some with effort others because of genetics. Most of those that i know that are heavier just enjoy the food too much and say they don't care about the weight and like the food (at least they are honest and I respect that). Family guys with a wife and kids don't care too much about having a gut they care more about enjoying life and that is their choice and right.

[Gulfsailor]

Modernization ... Thailand has entered the global world of the obesity epidemic.

Where overweight issues are more of a health threat than hunger and starvation.

Rather than relying on tired old morality lectures from Grandma's era, perhaps start to get educated about how things really are different now?

I highly recommend this series.

The Men Who Made Us Fat

12 part series all on youtube.

Here is part one. The remainder available from there.

After that, try, also multiple episodes.

The Men Who Made Us Thin

Yes, SUGAR is a big part of this. Used to be a luxury food. Now it's everyday, in large quantities, HIDDEN in all kinds of modern processed food (often you can't even taste it).

For Thailand it is not too late to avoid becoming the next BIG thing ... like Mexico, a middle wealth country that is incredibly obese. It is not only about the individual and not only about education. Changes in the FOOD INDUSTRY and involvement by government is absolutely necessary.

Good show and clearly shows how it all went wrong so many years ago. BUT the proposed solution of the maker / presenter to have the government take more control is exactly what created the problem in the first place. Where the show fails is that there is something like personal responsibility. Educate the consumer and they will have to make their own choices.

[Jingthing]

Actually, there is strong evidence that education is NOT very effective in combating this. Everyone says education is the key ... and they have no evidence it works, because at a societal level, it doesn't. It's just the knee JERK response. What fat person does not know it is healthier to eat broccoli than fish and chips? The morality arguments are old hat in this toxic modern food environment. It's just a way to blow off the problem and act like it is only about individuals when it clearly isn't. This is a problem that must be dealt with more at a societal level ... or just watch Thailand turn into Mexico. Mark my words.

Don't get me wrong, a small minority of individuals can really help themselves by becoming super aware of these food issues and they will also need a certain level of wealth to buy the right foods, as the foods of the modern masses are generally the cheapest food (and the most horrible, see 7-11). But that's never going to be a large percentage of people. To tackle the issue of the majority of people, societies really have to look at policies with impact for the MASSES. Again, government and food industry (under pressure of course) must be involved, or forget about it getting better, it will DEFINITELY get worse.

Also, bang for the buck-wise, Thailand needs to focus on YOUTH. Once a child becomes obese, it is well known he will almost definitely be obese throughout life (a shorter life generally). If a Thai kid is obese at age 5 and we are seeing that more now, sorry, you can't begin to blame that on the moral choices of the child. There is a much deeper problem in the child's ENVIRONMENT.

Edited September 4, 2014 by Jingthing

[laislica]

Actually, there is strong evidence that education is NOT very effective in combating this. Everyone says education is the key ... and they have no evidence it works, because at a societal level, it doesn't. It's just the knee JERK response. What fat person does not know it is healthier to eat broccoli than fish and chips? The morality arguments are old hat in this toxic modern food environment. It's just a way to blow off the problem and act like it is only about individuals when it clearly isn't. This is a problem that must be dealt with more at a societal level ... or just watch Thailand turn into Mexico. Mark my words.

Don't get me wrong, a small minority of individuals can really help themselves by becoming super aware of these food issues and they will also need a certain level of wealth to buy the right foods, as the foods of the modern masses are generally the cheapest food (and the most horrible, see 7-11). But that's never going to a large percentage of people. To tackle the issue of the majority of people, societies really have to look at policies with impact for the MASSES.

Also, bang for the buck-wise, Thailand needs to focus on YOUTH. Once a child becomes obese, it is well known he will almost definitely be obese throughout life (a shorter life generally). If a Thai kid is obese at age 5 and we are seeing that more now, sorry, you can't begin to blame that on the moral choices of the child. There is a much deeper problem in the child's ENVIRONMENT.

Agreed 100%.

Hormones control eating and when to stop.

The BBC documentary The truth about food showed this very clearly.

It is almost impossible to resist the relentless pressure of hormones.

The food manufacturers have known this for years and have created many very addictive foods and drinks.

The other problem is that too many so called scientists are funded by the very industries that need to be regulated,

the piper plays the tune and they sing along.

The Thai Government could place a very heavy tax on sugar - but how long would they last then?

Edited September 4, 2014 by laislica

[robblok]

Actually, there is strong evidence that education is NOT very effective in combating this. Everyone says education is the key ... and they have no evidence it works, because at a societal level, it doesn't. It's just the knee JERK response. What fat person does not know it is healthier to eat broccoli than fish and chips? The morality arguments are old hat in this toxic modern food environment. It's just a way to blow off the problem and act like it is only about individuals when it clearly isn't. This is a problem that must be dealt with more at a societal level ... or just watch Thailand turn into Mexico. Mark my words.

Don't get me wrong, a small minority of individuals can really help themselves by becoming super aware of these food issues and they will also need a certain level of wealth to buy the right foods, as the foods of the modern masses are generally the cheapest food (and the most horrible, see 7-11). But that's never going to be a large percentage of people. To tackle the issue of the majority of people, societies really have to look at policies with impact for the MASSES. Again, government and food industry (under pressure of course) must be involved, or forget about it getting better, it will DEFINITELY get worse.

Also, bang for the buck-wise, Thailand needs to focus on YOUTH. Once a child becomes obese, it is well known he will almost definitely be obese throughout life (a shorter life generally). If a Thai kid is obese at age 5 and we are seeing that more now, sorry, you can't begin to blame that on the moral choices of the child. There is a much deeper problem in the child's ENVIRONMENT.

To be honest what you are suggesting is not something that i like. It would mean banning bad foods even for those of us that are lean. I feel its not a good idea to ban stuff for everyone because some people can't handle it (you will get the same argument from me about drugs on this one so its not anti obese or something like that).

If you start getting a government telling you what you can and cannot eat your limiting options for those who do eat healthy most of the time but love some comfort foods at other times. You do this just to protect other weaker people. Its again an example where by protecting a certain group you take away the rights of an other.

That is why I am pro education and making your own choices.

Maybe an obese person should not be allowed to eat certain stuff but the same can't be said of healthy individuals.

Your point about health food being expensive is one i agree upon as I know that since i eat healthy in general i pay more. No argument there.

Your point about children I agree also 100% you can't expect a child to know better.

[laislica]

Actually, there is strong evidence that education is NOT very effective in combating this. Everyone says education is the key ... and they have no evidence it works, because at a societal level, it doesn't. It's just the knee JERK response. What fat person does not know it is healthier to eat broccoli than fish and chips? The morality arguments are old hat in this toxic modern food environment. It's just a way to blow off the problem and act like it is only about individuals when it clearly isn't. This is a problem that must be dealt with more at a societal level ... or just watch Thailand turn into Mexico. Mark my words.

Don't get me wrong, a small minority of individuals can really help themselves by becoming super aware of these food issues and they will also need a certain level of wealth to buy the right foods, as the foods of the modern masses are generally the cheapest food (and the most horrible, see 7-11). But that's never going to be a large percentage of people. To tackle the issue of the majority of people, societies really have to look at policies with impact for the MASSES. Again, government and food industry (under pressure of course) must be involved, or forget about it getting better, it will DEFINITELY get worse.

Also, bang for the buck-wise, Thailand needs to focus on YOUTH. Once a child becomes obese, it is well known he will almost definitely be obese throughout life (a shorter life generally). If a Thai kid is obese at age 5 and we are seeing that more now, sorry, you can't begin to blame that on the moral choices of the child. There is a much deeper problem in the child's ENVIRONMENT.

To be honest what you are suggesting is not something that i like. It would mean banning bad foods even for those of us that are lean. I feel its not a good idea to ban stuff for everyone because some people can't handle it (you will get the same argument from me about drugs on this one so its not anti obese or something like that).

If you start getting a government telling you what you can and cannot eat your limiting options for those who do eat healthy most of the time but love some comfort foods at other times. You do this just to protect other weaker people. Its again an example where by protecting a certain group you take away the rights of an other.

That is why I am pro education and making your own choices.

Maybe an obese person should not be allowed to eat certain stuff but the same can't be said of healthy individuals.

Your point about health food being expensive is one i agree upon as I know that since i eat healthy in general i pay more. No argument there.

Your point about children I agree also 100% you can't expect a child to know better.

Education works 100%.

The proof for this is that we are "educated" by advertisements that bombard us on the TV, static signs and everywhere.

However, despite the "Smoking Kills" info on every packet in the west, millions still smoke!

So I guess education doesn't work!

But it must be the starting point and should start as early in a child's life as possible - in school and a government can surely make that happen.

Remember that it has taken more than 50 years to see the error of the current low fat / high carb regime!

There is also too much conflict still, over what is healthy and what is not - who to believe?

So many have vested interests and cause lies to be told, retold and amplified for their profit.

Such a sad state of world affairs!

Many have been brainwashed into believing that without plenty of sugar and other energy giving carbohydrates, they will "have no power".

New studies now totally refute this assumption, but it flies in the face of current advice and people are slow to embrace big changes.

To be healthy needs a 180 degree turnabout in food choices and ditching those addictive carbohydrates....

Not easy but as Rob said, can be done....

[Tokay]

Good for them. The fatter they get, the easier it will be for larger foreigners to find clothes here.

[maoro]

So a third of the population is over weight, total crap

[asdecas]

Three easy steps to halve obesity over a ten year period - but which haven't a hope of being implemented any time soon:

1. Ban trans-fats in all foods.

2. Ban carbonated soft drinks and processed foods containing high concentrations of sugars, particularly HFCS, and salt.

3. Hike the price of alcohol.

[Keesters]

So a third of the population is over weight, total crap

From visual surveys me and a mate have done at Thai beaches over the last few years it's 1 in 4.

[bheard]

The more affluent the people are the more they will spend on unhealthy food and get overweight or obese.

Look at the difference between Malaysia 44% obese, and Viet Nam or Cambodia, 10 to 12% obesity.

Malaysia being the richest country in the area Viet Nam or Cambodia the poorest.

America and Europe still have not found any remedy to the problem, although they are spending billions to educate the people as to what healthy eating is.

Sometimes, wealth doesn't help our health issues and I don't foresee any change for the future.

The first sentence above not necessarily true in all countries. I just took a trip to Hong Kong (yes, visa run and successfully returned to Thailand) and noticed 1. the place is affluent compared to Thailand, and 2. The women there are generally slim and petite. Shapely as well. Hot even. In fact obesity was not something I saw there at all.

Oddly though, I saw a lot of women there smoking (compared to Thailand where few women smoke).

No, I'm not suggesting that smoking = slim, just an observation. And a subjective one at that.

[keestha]

Often wondered why among the Thai population far more women than men seem to be overweight.

[catweazle]

Think one of the biggest problems is that many kids in LOS are raised by grannies, ants and uncles who bottle feed and don't know how and when to stop. I.e. baby cries after the bottle - "Oh, must still be hungry - an in goes another bottle..." instead of doing the "burp thing" to get rid of excessive gas in the baby's stomach. The bottle milk is full of sugar and other $#ite the baby won't need.

Then, most Thais find fat babys "Narak maak, maak!" (Cute, so cute) which adds to the disaster taking its course. Once the kids is three or four and fat like a Sumo wrestler, there's no turning back. They turn 35, best 40 and die of a heart attack because the heart has the size of a trash bag and is too weak to go on.

My oldest had a girl in his pre school class - a three (and a half) year old girl weighing 35 kilos!!!! That "thing" (sorry) could not even walk from the classroom to the entrance gate without a few breaks in between to catch a breath. She'll die at early age. Trying to warn her stupid father was impossible - he took it as an offense, because everyone thought that she's so "narak"... I thought she looked disgusting, more like an oversized bowling ball with a head, feet and starfish hands popping out... an insult to the eye... poor girl stupid parents

7Eleven with 70% of the assortment being fatty and sugary stuff, as well as the ever rising amount of American fast food places (can't call em restaurants, can I?) puts the final nail in the coffin...

Edited September 5, 2014 by catweazle

[IAMHERE]

Wasn't it Karl Marx that said Religion is the opiate of the people ? You can quote me "Sugar is the real opiate of the people". Sugar is worse than tobacco.

[Lupatria]

About 40% of the kids aged 8 to 14 in my hood are way too fat! All of their daily spending money goes straight to 7-eleven to buy nothing but junk food and soft drinks. I always wonder how many of them will live to the age of 30 without suffering from severe health problems- given that they will get that old. Their parents ignore the fact they probably tell them kids: get fat- or die trying so the neighbors can see we can afford it.

[willyumiii]

When I first came to Thailand 13 years ago, it was very rare to see an overweight Thai person.

If I saw an obese person approaching from a block away in Bangkok, I was pretty sure it was a foreigner and not a Thai.

Today, the obesity problem in Thailand is alarming.

I ask myself "what has changed?"

It is the availability of western junk food!

Mcc Donald's, KFC, chips, Pepsi,, Coke, french fries ..processed food with high fruitcose corn syrup.

The introduction of a western like diet has introduced a western like obesity problem.

[Seastallion]

Tax sugar. Tax it at 100% or 150%.

Sugar is the enemy.

[goatfarmer]

People can eat anything and not be obese--it's the portions that do people in. One slice of pizza is not unhealthy. Five slices of pizza is unhealthy.

They never should have let super-size fast food into Thailand.

Not if you are insulin resistant, which obese people are.

[CantSpell]

7/11: bringing obesity opportunities to your door

[robertthebruce]

I have always said Thai food is not,healthy, it's heavily sugared and over salted, as for fresh drinks, it's loaded with Syrup... Which as we know is basically Sugar..

Health Education is the key factor, get the Kids involved and they can tell there folks back home....

Sad to see all the same...

[Minnehaha]

As an athlete (when I was a lad), I learned very clearly that you cannot out exercise your diet. This means that no matter how much exercise you do, you cannot lose or control your weight if you do not control your diet. So, even if you live a sedentary lifestyle, if you eat in proportion and quality you will not get fat.

Here is a very interesting article on diet - with the word used to mean both 'what you eat' and 'eating certain foods or not eating others in an effort to lose weight', or dieting as a verb.

http://www.vox.com/2014/9/3/6098671/how-to-lose-weight-diet-studies-low-carb-low-fat

The human body can live without sugars but it cannot live without fats.

And different people have different metabolisms. Also, different peoples have different metabolisms. Caucasians tend to get fat around the middle, the belt line. As the great George Orwell wrote in Burmese Days (paraphrasing here) "Asians do not gain weight like westerners. Asians tend to swell up like a ripe fruit". Or something to that effect. I think it is accurate.

I have often wondered about the calorie / sugar / fat / salt or sodium content in Thai dishes. And I have never found a reliable site or source to refer to for this. If academics have looked at this material and published something I have not been able to find it.

Finally, I think a major factor in food consumption is 'satiation' and here Thais have had an advantage over other peoples. Thai food tastes great and most is a powerful taste. Most Thais can identify salty or sweet or sour in degrees that amaze me. But the point is... when food tastes great it is satisfying. And I think people eat less when the flavor is strong. Satisfied the body does not crave more.

Post script:

On another note, it would be nice to know why the vast majority of Thai women have perfect heart shaped behinds. That is a mystery worth exploring. I recall when I first realized it, some 20 + years ago, after about 2 weeks in country. I was astounded and started to count the number of large or unshapely bums I could spot in a day. Not many, and I am certain I had statistically significant samples.

Edited September 5, 2014 by Minnehaha

[anon467367354]

The more affluent the people are the more they will spend on unhealthy food and get overweight or obese.

Look at the difference between Malaysia 44% obese, and Viet Nam or Cambodia, 10 to 12% obesity.

Malaysia being the richest country in the area Viet Nam or Cambodia the poorest.

America and Europe still have not found any remedy to the problem, although they are spending billions to educate the people as to what healthy eating is.

Sometimes, wealth doesn't help our health issues and I don't foresee any change for the future.

So by your reckoning only people with money are fat? Sorry but that's rubbish

How do you explain the obesity in poor people in the west then?

usually I find the wealthy are more educated and are not buying crap from the convenience stores. Where I live I see tons of severely obese children eating whatever the colored

frozen crap is that comes from 7-11. To see a child eating some kind of chips in a bag and a huge soda just breaks my heart as grandma has no idea what it's doing to their body.

One of the worst I've seen is a severely obese boy, so fat to the point of being disabled having a bag of soda held in front of his face constantly by grandma that also was carrying his

backpack as well as "groceries".

I don't think the Thai have ever had to distinguish between food and non-foods as all this western crap is very new to them. It's not really a part of their realm yet.

[quandow]

I'm currently working for the largest private school system in southeast Asia, and their physical education is limited to marching and occasionally sitting down to watch videos on proper marching. They have NO time off for lunch to run around and just be kids - the minute they're finished eating they are whisked back to class to get yelled at and hit with rulers. And the food is the worst kind of tripe imagineable. They DO, however, have a great snack bar where they can buy a multitude of processed sugar during the few minutes made available to them, and the Milo group comes by several times a year to give the kids free samples.

[danasutton]

Gluten is the culprit.

A gluten free/paleo diet is the only way to get rid of obesity.

Humans are designed to eat only meat, fruit, and vegetables.

The paleo diet will also cure type two diabetes.

When a person eats gluten/wheat based products he is going against his genetics.

We are not designed to eat gluten and the body can't digest it.

Societies that eat a paleo diet do not have diabetes, tooth decay, obesity, cancer, etc, etc, etc.

Google Dr. Peter Glidden and or paleo diet.

[Pii Kate]

I take issue with the remark re: usually Thai food is considered healthy. Three of my friends and I have developed high blood pressure since moving here. My doctor said, stop eating soy sauce, fish sauce and using MSG. That means no more Thai food.

[lovetotravel]

When I first came to Thailand 13 years ago, it was very rare to see an overweight Thai person.

If I saw an obese person approaching from a block away in Bangkok, I was pretty sure it was a foreigner and not a Thai.

Today, the obesity problem in Thailand is alarming.

I ask myself "what has changed?"

It is the availability of western junk food!

Mcc Donald's, KFC, chips, Pepsi,, Coke, french fries ..processed food with high fruitcose corn syrup.

The introduction of a western like diet has introduced a western like obesity problem.

Many Thais don't have the money to afford Western fast food, and in the more rural areas, they just aren't there. They eat off the street, stuff deep fried in palm oil with coconut milk and bunches of sugar. The sweets they eat are pure Thai. I've never seen them anywhere else and they are pure sugar. The soda pop they drink are mainly Thai brands. Red, green, orange, etc. Rarely I see them drinking a real Coke.

Don't blame the west for all the world's woes. People need to talk responsibility for their own actions.