Thailand to boost average height with better school meals

Bangkok - Thailand is to launch a campaign to increase the average height of its citizens through better nutrition at school and health awareness for children, officials said Friday.

It aims to increase the average height of Thai men to 175 centimetres and women to 165 centimetres from 167 centimetres and 157 centimetres respectively within 10 years, according to the Department of Health.

The department will also try to increase the average IQ from 94 to 100 over the same time, said Narong Saiwong, deputy director of the department.

Children at schools across the country would receive healthier meals and more instruction on healthy living and exercise, said an official in the Department of Health who asked not to be named.

Childhood obesity contributes to a lower IQ, as the associated symptoms of sleep apnea and drowsiness prevent students from competing to their full potential at school, she said.

The maintenance of physical and mental health is one of the core values for Thais proclaimed by the military government.

The junta has stipulated that all primary school children to recite the core values daily.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/Thailand-to-boost-average-height-with-better-schoo-30264650.html

-- The Nation 2015-07-17

Change the curriculum then. mandate at least 2-3 periods of PE, instead of one. Ans make the exercise routines compulsory - no sitting out swimming lessons because they are 'shy'. Get rid of all the fried junk food that is sold in school canteens and only sell healthy food. Only sell fruit at morning break. It's quite simple really, but parents need education too in this regard.

Hmm. Increase height by 8 centimetres. Increase IQ too. Interesting !

And all by a healthier diet. Unbelievable !

Increase the average IQ... That will be the biggest challange I guess.

Follow the money. Who is the lucky school meals supplier and who is controlling this budget?

Hmm. Increase height by 8 centimetres. Increase IQ too. Interesting !

And all by a healthier diet. Unbelievable !

Funny you should mention that but I took a 12 year old girl from a Thai village, who was skinny and short.

After feeding her plenty of meat and milk for four years, she is incredibly tall for a Thai, western height.

I don't know if the food was responsible for her being first in her class for the last two years.

But it's very strange!

Probably just a coincidence.

Thainess. Worry about vanity height rather than healthy nutrition or obesity.

As for height; lots of milk! See the Dutch... As for intelligence, a very regular intake (say every few hours) of protein rich food such as milk, eggs, cheese or meat. Also saturated fatty acids play a big positive role in brain development.

In other words get rid of the white rice in the school menu and replace with dairy, eggs and meat.

I wish my mother knew the secret diet, i would have been taller

Hmm. Increase height by 8 centimetres. Increase IQ too. Interesting !

And all by a healthier diet. Unbelievable !

It seems perfectly feasible to me, given the outright junk I see children fed on.

I remember listening to a radio programme in the UK on this subject. The speaker was arguing that there was no genetic reason for Asians to be so much smaller than Europeans other than a poor diet. Having seen an increase in stocky Thais and Chinese over the last few years, I can well believe it.

I hope the Powers That Be do enforce healthier eating at school and don't just treat health as a fad.

More words of wisdom from on high ! Talk is cheap but the action needed costs millions/ billions and needs proper application by people who care at ground level.

Wake me up in ten years and show me the results.

Basically, it's very easy. Granted, I'm from Holland, standing at 6.5. Within my peergroup I am not thought of as being "particularly tall", quite the contrary: being over 55 many younger Dutchmen are taller than me. But: My son, a Luck-krueng in spite of his papa does NOT eat cheese (I love it), but he did drink about 1 liter of milk every day until 6. All this apart from the 200 gram of fish, meat, chicken or duck every meal. His intake of rice is, for Thai standards, minimal (50/50 at most). Lots of fruit, lots of vegies (in a sauce), 2 multivitamines everyday and lo and behold: He's a foot taller than his classroom buddies.

Mind: when you go to Bangkok you see lots of tall children. Usually the parents can afford to go for "an american diet".

Basically it's about affordabilty, and place. Holland happens to be a place with the tallest people in the world, due to the fact that meats, milk, cheese, fish and vegetables are easily available at prices usually lower than Thailand.

LOL its going to take generations and as we all know Thailand cant even keep a crackdown going for more than a week... no chance of this happening...

My twin girls were raised from 1 yo on a much better diet with increased protein intake than most Thais. Although neither genetic parent is tall, even by Thai standards, every class photo has them as tall as the tallest boys. No extra exercise involved, just more money for better food. At that time there was a school milk program, and for some reason every so often they would bring home a complete carton of UHF milk (23 small servings).

Can it work - definitely. Chances of it working - slim to SFA.

Can't comment on IQ.

Edited July 17, 201510 yr by halloween

Holland happens to be a place with the tallest people in the world, due to the fact that meats, milk, cheese, fish and vegetables are easily available at prices usually lower than Thailand.

And I always thought it was so they could keep their heads above the flood waters

Hmmm.. then do something about iodine deficiency... MP suffer from it..

Teachers do teach about good nutrition but then the kids go to the canteen

and OD on sugar.

So many kids are addicted to sugar, hyperactivity is rampant in every classroom.

Many parents feed their children sugary food just to shut them up.

Nothing but the truth

Some of the current members of the NCPO have mentioned that they have experienced sudden growth spurts and a temporary increase in height after taking viagra.

Some of the current members of the NCPO have mentioned that they have experienced sudden growth spurts and a temporary increase in height after taking viagra.

Thus interuptus Corruptus linear reduction syndrome.

"Childhood obesity contributes to a lower IQ"

Did not know that.

Hmm. Increase height by 8 centimetres. Increase IQ too. Interesting !

And all by a healthier diet. Unbelievable !

Scholar articles suggest you are wrong.

Nutrition is linked to increased height and increased IQ.

A well balanced diet is beneficial to growing youth and is recognised throughout the word. Tuk shops in Australian schools only provide healthy food now after research into this has proven it.

Your desperation to denounce the Junta is blinding you my friend....

Hmm. Increase height by 8 centimetres. Increase IQ too. Interesting !

And all by a healthier diet. Unbelievable !

Scholar articles suggest you are wrong.

Nutrition is linked to increased height and increased IQ.

A well balanced diet is beneficial to growing youth and is recognised throughout the word. Tuk shops in Australian schools only provide healthy food now after research into this has proven it.

Your desperation to denounce the Junta is blinding you my friend....

Digging into this a little further, the increase in the government contribution is from 13 Baht per head to 20 baht per head.

Realistically, I doubt this increase will affect height one bit, let alone increase IQ levels.

Hmm. Increase height by 8 centimetres. Increase IQ too. Interesting !

And all by a healthier diet. Unbelievable !

Scholar articles suggest you are wrong.

Nutrition is linked to increased height and increased IQ.

A well balanced diet is beneficial to growing youth and is recognised throughout the word. Tuk shops in Australian schools only provide healthy food now after research into this has proven it.

Your desperation to denounce the Junta is blinding you my friend....

Digging into this a little further, the increase in the government contribution is from 13 Baht per head to 20 baht per head.

Realistically, I doubt this increase will affect height one bit, let alone increase IQ levels.

So a 65% increase!

Appreciate you digging into it further, but with a 65% increase I doubt it reinforces your argument. It reinforces mine...

Have a great evening my friend.

EDIT - But you do agree at least that nutrition increases IQ and height right?

Edited July 17, 201510 yr by djjamie

It seems perfectly feasible to me, given the outright junk I see children fed on.

I remember listening to a radio programme in the UK on this subject. The speaker was arguing that there was no genetic reason for Asians to be so much smaller than Europeans other than a poor diet. Having seen an increase in stocky Thais and Chinese over the last few years, I can well believe it.

I hope the Powers That Be do enforce healthier eating at school and don't just treat health as a fad.

The Japanese are pretty small too, but they live longer than almost any other nationality in the world (87 years for women, 80 for men).

Japan is a good case in point here, their average height increased substantially in the later part of the twentieth century, due largely to getting a much better diet with more protein etc.

Edited July 17, 201510 yr by lamyai3

I wonder if they'll address the other issue of "size" that has hit recent worldwide surveys?

And improving height is more important improving an individual's education. The Education system here sucks and government is worried about children's height. How does taller make a better population or citizen. Unbelievable.

Don't forget the biggest factor - genetics.

So the quickest and surest way to increase average height of the next generation - copulate with farangs.

[bare with me, i'm not an english educated person. Trying to explain something that i find universal and logic and true]

"""" Thailand to boost average height with better school meals
Bangkok - Thailand is to launch a campaign to increase the average height of its citizens through better nutrition at school and health awareness for children, officials said Friday.""""



this is the title of the article,,,,well i find this policy sensible, nothing different from, the drive to improve the meals of the british students, embraced by many succesive an different UK's goverments, or by the latest first lady of the US... some famous "chefs", i.e jamie oliver tried to improve student's meals, provided by the schools on both side of the Atlantic with little success... in some other western countries student finish school at lunch time and have their meals at home,...not implying they would have a better meal at home.

Better food quality, better physical health, better IQ potential...Mrs. Obama or many Mr. Prime Ministers of the UK , and many other countries/ goverments have all embraced exactly the same policy.

Childhood obesity is a common problem in most of the western countries. Childhood obesity will become Adult Obesity..... Adult Obesity will become or is an actual problem for many countries, Obesity is stretching many national health systems....

The article, made this logical , sensible and rational policy, wrong by saying : "The maintenance of physical and mental health is one of the core values for Thais proclaimed by the military government.The junta has stipulated that all primary school children to recite the core values daily.'.....if we alter the sentences by substituting "military goverment" with "US federal Goverment/UK Parliament" and "Junta' with 'Prime minister or Mr.President. the sentences would become:

"The maintenance of physical and mental health is one of the core values for British/French/ Americans/Greeks/Australians proclaimed by the Federal Goverment/ House of Commons/ Assemble' Nationale. The President/Prime Minister/Secretary of U.N. has stipulated that all primary school children to recite the core values daily.'

Same Meaning.... different sound?

This article is giving the wrong light on a rational idea, that even my family applied to me , and your famlies did to you all, they as responsible parents gave all the efforts that, i/you , as their son, would get the best nutrition that they could provide.

Better Food/Diet for the Youngs is a correct Policy, no matter if, it's the First Lady, and Cameron or Mussolini or the Spartans and Gandhi are pushing it.
Demonizing or putting this issue under the wrong view is pure stupidity.
The "journalist" should find other "points " to sell.


Mens sana in corpore sano


P.S. Not a single country managed , so far, to implement this policy to a full extent. If am wrong, please correct me and maybe Thailand and other countries will have a path to follow. It's up to the single person and family to take care of their own diet. We all know what is a healthy diet is, feeding yourself in the wrong way is your choice, but if they feed my kids in the wrong way.....and they realizing they could do better.... let's give them a chance. Preparing lunch boxes for kids can be challenging , it's for me.

Edited July 18, 201510 yr by bkkclio

Thai males prefer tall, leggy girls, why not pander to their neeeds. Whilst most westerners prefer the petite Thai girl. Thainess is now part of a nutritional campaign.