Obesity is getting bigger Even in Asian countries like Thailand and Malaysia

According to health minister Chua Soi Lek, obesity will become a epidemic in Malaysia in the next ten years if nothing to do to stop the increasing obesity rate (Yahoo News). He said that other health related problems like high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and knee problems are getting high. Obesity problem has increased in Malaysia at a very brisk pace. The percentage of obese people, which was 4.4 in 1996, has gone up to 12.2 by 2003(almost tripled).

But the most surprising thing has happened in Thailand. Thailand has always been known for its tasty food and slim people. But now they have been looking for the solutions for the growing obesity problem. Chaicharn Deerochanawong, consultant in diabetes who works for the Ministry of Public Health says, we are eating more fat (junk food) as compared to the traditional Thai food which contains too many vegetables. He says in the past we did not eat too much but exercise a lot. A ministry study in 2003 found that 33.8 percent of Thai females and 31.5 percent of males were obese, representing a 50 percent rise from 1998.