BANGKOK, Dec 25 – Stress, smoking, drinking alcohol, a lack of exercise and inappropriate eating are five unwanted behaviours that kill Thai people.
Dr Prakit Vathesatogkit, secretary general of the Action on Smoking and Health Foundation Thailand, said 11 million Thai people are suffering from high blood pressure and diabetes, mainly the consequences of the five behaviours.
Smoking is reported in 40 per cent of Thai men and 60 per cent drink alcohol while half fail to exercise and 70 per cent do not eat enough fruit and vegetables, he said.
Dr Prakit said smoking is practiced by 31 per cent of male diabetes patients and 31 per cent of men with high blood pressure.
He voiced strong support of a campaign by Public Health Minister Cholnan Srikaew to change the behaviors of high blood pressure and diabetes patients by encouraging them to reduce smoking and drinking alcohol, to exercise more and to eat appropriately.
According to the Public Health Ministry, the deaths of Thai people in 2009 were mainly due to high blood pressure (86,882 people), smoking (50,710 people), drinking alcohol (22,672 people), lack of exercise and inappropriate eating (31,743 people).
The total figure represented 44.5 per cent of the total deaths.
