THAILAND: Overweight children take part in special programme to reduce their weight as fast food is blamed for increased obesity

Record ID: 174009

  • Title: THAILAND: Overweight children take part in special programme to reduce their weight as fast food is blamed for increased obesity
  • Date: 1st August 2001
  • Summary: NAKHON RATCHASIMA, THAILAND (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF CHILDREN DOING AEROBICS (2 SHOTS) CLOSE UP OF BOY DOING AEROBICS VARIOUS OF CHILDREN EXERCISING (3 SHOTS) WIDE OF TEACHER INSTRUCTING AEROBICS LESSON VARIOUS OF CHILDREN AT SWIMMING POOL (4 SHOTS) VARIOUS, CHILDREN EXERCISING AROUND THE POOL VARIOUS, CHILDREN SWIMMING (3 SHOTS) SCU (SOUNDBITE) (Thai) NAKHON RATCHASIMA SCHOOL PRINCIPAL, THONG WIRIYAJARU, SAYING: "The Thai culture is very much about easy eating. You eat often, everywhere at anytime. But now the kids do this with junk food like KFC and McDonalds. This junk food is now coming to the provinces. Before there wasn't this kind of food and there wasn't a weight problem." WIDE OF CHILDREN ON EXERCISE MACHINES SMV BOY ON EXERCISE BIKE (2 SHOTS) SLV BOY ON ROWING MACHINE SLV SIX-YEAR-OLD "BIG" ON GYM EQUIPMENT SCU (SOUNDBITE) (Thai) STUDENT "BIG", SAYING: "I eat a lot at home. I eat rice and lots of deep fried chicken." VARIOUS, TEACHER WEIGHING CHILDREN (2 SHOTS) SCU OF SCALES WIDE OF EXTERIOR OF SCHOOL SMV OF OVER WEIGHT GIRLS WALKING IN PLAYGROUND SMV OVERWEIGHT CHILDREN SMV CHILDREN EATING LUNCH
  • Embargoed: 16th August 2001 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: NAKHON RATCHASIMA, THAILAND
  • Country: Thailand
  • Topics: Health
  • Reuters ID: LVA911Y9LH39BGA9TAGPDRSWLS8S
  • Story Text: Obesity is becoming a problem in Thailand, with more and more children now overweight. The problem is so bad at one school that the principal has introduced special fitness classes.
    These are the 'big kids' at Nakhon Ratchasima elementary school, about 300 kilometres east of Bangkok.
    While their slender class mates play outside, these overweight children, ranging in age from six to twelve are 'working out' -- sweating in the name of personal health.
    They are some of the 500 overweight students who attend the school, and who are being forced to take part in a special fitness scheme, designed to help them 'trim down'.
    School principal Thong Wiriyajaru introduced the program two years ago when he became aware of just how much a problem obesity had become -- his school being dubbed the 'fat farm' by locals.
    "The Thai culture is very much about easy eating. You eat often, everywhere at anytime. But now the kids do this with junk food like KFC and McDonalds. This junk food is now coming to the provinces. Before there wasn't this kind of food and there wasn't a weight problem," Wiriyajaru said.
    The fitness program requires over-endowed students to do an hour of rigorous activity each afternoon.
    There are four different classes -- swimming, gym, basket ball and aerobics. All designed to help the 'jumbo juniors' shed some kilos.
    Some activities are tougher than others, with the gym proving to be the toughest for this six year old boy, who has been given the nickname "Big" by his friends and teachers.
    "I eat a lot at home. I eat rice and lots of deep fried chicken," he said.
    The average weight of these youngsters is 43 kg and principal Thong says 400 students have managed to lose a considerable amount of weight since the program started.
    His school also offers diet guidelines along with the exercise program. But he says this will not work out if many parents still insist on spoiling their children with sweets and fast food.
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