BANGKOK, March 14 (TNA) – The Public Health Ministry has launched a campaign to help overweight Thais to fight obesity after the number of patients with heart disease, diabetes, and cancer doubled in the past five years.
Public Health Minister Chaiya Sasomsab cited the World Health Organization (WHO) report that lifestyle-related illnesses, particularly obesity, led to almost two-thirds -- 66 per cent -- of all deaths in developing countries and that the rising trend is cause for worry.
The lifestyle-related illness caused 96,354 deaths in Thailand in the past five years, or one death per six minutes on average, Mr. Chaiya said.
The number of patients with heart disease doubled from 318 to 682 per 100,000 of population and patients with diabetes more than doubled from 278 to 587 per 100,000, while cancer patients rose from 80 to 124 per 100,000 population.
The cost of treatment of these diseases was worth more than Bt five billion annually.
In 2007, 42 per cent of Thais aged over 15 years old or about 17 million people were overweight.
About one in five Thai men -- 20 per cent -- and three in five Thai women -- 60 per cent --were overweight.
The ministry has launched pilot projects to decrease the number of overweight people by 40,000 people in each province or about 3,000,000 people across the country.
The two-year plan to counter obesity will start in May this year to fight obesity and will focus on the role of local authorities to promote 45-minute workouts five days a week, in conjunction with healthy eating habits. (TNA)-E004
General News : Last Update : 15:42:00 14 March 2008 (GMT+7:00)
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