According to Rosie Leishman, Thais with lower incomes have limited choices for healthy eating.
According to nutrition experts, Thailand is succumbing to international food trends that negatively impact children’s diets and habits, suggesting that the government taking more steps to ensure healthy diets among the country’s youth.
One report indicates that one in every four kids in Southeast Asia and the Pacific is heavy, according to Roland Kupka, a diet director for Unicef East Asia and the Pacific.
Given that less than one in ten children were diagnosed with obesity in 2000, the price is alarming.
In addition, over the past 15 years, the number of shops per person in the area has increased by 52.5 %, more quickly than in any other area of the world.
Due to Thailand’s rapid progress in the food retail market, which is dominated by chain stores and supermarkets and made yet more convenient by online shopping, there is no longer any new, economical meal for Thais with low incomes.
According to Mr. Kupka, as the number of retail stores grows, the cost of non-nutritious meal decreases.
According to Unicef, East Asian children eat fewer fruits and vegetables, opting for foods high in sugar, water, and unhealthy fats, which increase fat.
Thailand is acclimating to the world trend that children’s nutrition and lifestyles are harmed by food systems, according to Mr. Kupka. He claimed that the rise in ring retailers is the result of rapid urbanization, economic growth, and changes in consumer habits.
The rise in the availability and promotion of toxic, highly processed foods is at the heart of the styles we are seeing, he said. The food and beverage sector places a high value on the availability and promotion of affordable, high-energy products, which promote unhealthy eating habits and the obesity epidemic.
Low discounts on unhealthy foods, colorful promotions, and proper supermarket layouts encourage people to buy bad foods, which are more lucrative than fresh produce.
Digital environments for online trends and modern food financial environments are also crucial for shaping social norms. Children and adolescents who are developing their eating patterns are especially at risk from this coverage.
In November 2023, Unicef and Deakin University conducted a study to discover that 79 % of Thai teenagers used online to shop for food and beverages, and 76 % of them surveyed in Thailand.
According to the research, parents and caregivers who purchase food for babies are also being influenced by financial marketing tactics. But, Mr. Kupka said this shouldn’t be the blame game for kids.
Parents want their children to be well-off and good. Parents don’t need to be fixed; instead, we need to correct the systems and make the decision-making process simpler, according to Mr. Kupka. If there isn’t anything being done,” this location is likely to follow the same path as Western Europe and North America, where big chains have wiped out the food culture.”
Unicef Thailand’s chief of communication Rudina Vojvoda stated:” The negative price of unhealthy food is great. Everyone pays when these items aren’t done properly, so everyone has a role to play in this.
We need federal authority and policies that will have an impact on everyone, Mr. Kupka said. Laws that require change will produce a level playing field.
He said the important steps to solving this problem include taxes on unhealthy food, stricter labeling laws, restrictions on children’s exposure to toxic meal marketing, and restrictions on in-store promotions of harmful products.