Thais Dont Eat Enough Fruit& Veg

[nostrel]

Fruit and veggies 'crucial' for cardiovascular health

More than half of all Thais do not eat enough fruit and vegetables, which increases the risk of getting a cardiovascular disease, a public health official warned yesterday.

Nearly 80 per cent of all cardiovascular diseases could be prevented if people improved their diet and lifestyle, Watchara Panchet, an assistant to the health minister, told a meeting of 300 medical professionals at Bangkok's Richmond Hotel.

Watchara said the main causes of such diseases were obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, lack of exercise, not enough fruit and vegetables and smoking.

He said a 2004 survey of people over the age of 15 found that over 39 million Thais ate less than the internationally recommended amount of fruit and vegetables each day.

Eleven million said they smoked every day, and 10 million said they did not exercise. And 70 per cent of those questioned did not know they already had high blood pressure, he said.

There were now 125,000 patients for every heart doctor, Watchara said, so preventive measures would be more effective than treating problems after they arise.

The Public Health Ministry will launch a campaign called "rak hua jai tawai Nailuang" (love your heart out of respect for His Majesty the King) to mark this year's World Heart Day on September 24, Watchara said.

The campaign will include walking marathons at Suan Luang Rama IX Park and at the Public Health Ministry's office in Nonthaburi, along with activities like check-ups, exhibitions and shows. The event will run from 5.30am to 2pm.

Privy Councillor Kasem Wattanachai said the number of cardiovascular deaths were

second only to cancer among Thais.

]

from the The Nation

[nostrel]

how about gals who live on somtum is that a good intake?

[Thaddeus]

Huh

Did you?

1. reply to yourself to keep the topic active.

2. Forget to add something to the opening address.

3. forget to sign out and then sign in again.

[londonthai]

love your heart out of respect for His Majesty the King

somehow I can't see it convincing for the majority of the thai population - there are more important things in life: health, wealth, family etc

[chrisjune]

love your heart out of respect for His Majesty the King

somehow I can't see it convincing for the majority of the thai population - there are more important things in life: health, wealth, family etc

i'd say that if health were important to the thai population, then it shouldn't be too hard to convice them to keep their hearts working right...

i wonder what would happen if free fruits were given out to the population...hmm....

Edited September 13, 2006 by krazyboi

[Tornado]

All the Thais eat is fruit, vegetables, fish, rice etc.

I would say an extemely healthy diet!

A bit of exercise wouldnt go astray though.

[sabaijai]

The Thais I know - friends and family - eat a lot more fruits and vegetables than most westerners I know (then again, the farang diet isn't exactly an example of good diet). I've always been impressed by the typical fruit/veg intake here. Especially in rural areas where meat/fish is eaten only sparingly, the diet seems to consist mostly of fruits, vegies and rice.

Had a meal at my in-laws house last Sunday, sitting on rice mats under the house in Sanpatong, must have been 8 plates heaped with steamed or raw vegetables, four plates of fruit, three chilli pastes (naam phrik), two curries and a soup. Seems like a typical rural Thai meal to me -- perhaps in Bangkok it's all kuaytiaw and khao kaeng, dunno.