Thai Healthcare Struggles as Poor Diets Drain the Economy

The DHSP has expressed worries about the country’s eating behaviors, pointing out the danger of Thais developing NCDs because of an overly high intake of sugary, salty, and greasy food items.

Dr. Panuwat Panket, who leads the Department of Disease Control at Thailand’s Public Health Ministry, stated that a national study conducted in February involving 52,000 individuals highlighted concerning patterns in Thai dietary habits. The findings indicated that Thais frequently consume more than the advised amounts of sugar, fats, and salt, according to him.

Some 51% of respondents consume sweet foods or drinks such as sugary beverages, iced milk tea, iced coffee, and fruit juices three or more times per week. Nearly 46% regularly eat high-fat foods, including fried dishes, stir-fries, and fast food; and about 50% consume salty foods like som tam (papaya salad), yam (spicy salads), and larb (spicy minced meat salad) at least three times weekly.

He stated that these eating habits are linked to a higher likelihood of developing non-communicable diseases such as heart conditions, cancers, long-term lung issues, diabetes, and problems with the kidneys.

Dr. Adisorn Vatthanasak, the deputy director-general at DHSS, highlighted the insufficient understanding of nutrition amongst Thais, specifically concerning the dangers linked to elevated levels of salt intake.

"Only 15% demonstrated a good understanding of healthy salt intake, significantly lower than their awareness of the dangers of excessive sugar and fat.

"Moreover, nearly 60% admitted feeling hesitant about requesting less seasoning when dining out, even when aware the food might be detrimental to their health," he said.

The Public Health Minister, Somsak Thepsutin, stated that non-communicable diseases represent some of the nation's foremost issues both for public health and economics.

At present, over 33 million Thais are managing non-communicable diseases, accompanied by 400,000 fatalities and more than 2 million newly diagnosed cases annually.

The effects extend beyond public health into the economic sphere," stated Mr. Somsak. "Annually, we face losses exceeding 1 trillion baht because of expenses related to non-communicable diseases, which equates to approximately 9.7% of our GDP.

In fiscal year 2024, the National Health Security Office allocated more than 52% of its 152.7 billion baht budget to cover treatment for NCDs alone. 'These diseases are largely preventable, yet they continue to place an unsustainable burden on individuals, families, and the healthcare system,' Mr Somsak said.

He stated that non-communicable diseases (NCDs) primarily result from lifestyle choices like unhealthy eating habits, tobacco use, excessive drinking, lack of exercise, and prolonged exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution. He encouraged individuals to embrace better nutrition by cutting down on salty, sugary, and fatty processed foods, while also boosting their fruit and vegetable consumption.

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