‘Obesity a ticking time bomb’ for monks

Nearly half of Thailand’s 300 000 Buddhist monks are obese as a result of being given “fatty and sugary” food by worshippers, a study found.

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Nearly half of Thailand’s 300 000 Buddhist monks are obese as a result of being given “fatty and sugary” food by worshippers, a study has found.

Monks all over the country receive gifts in the form of food donations from devoted Buddhists, who believe it will bring them luck.

However, with the more popular dishes being fatty, such as deep-fried tod mun fishcakes, or full of sugar, like thong yib and foy thong desserts, monks’ waistlines are growing.

Scientists at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok found that 48 percent of monks were obese, 42 percent had high cholesterol, 23 percent had high blood pressure and more than 10 percent were diabetic.

“Obesity in our monks is a ticking time bomb,” said Dr Jongjit Angkatavanich.

The annual cost of care for monks with obesity-related health problems in the country was more than £6.1million in 2012.

Daily Mail