BANGKOK, July 30 – A research study indicated that almost half of Thai monks are having overweight problems or are affected by congenital diseases.
The study focused on the health concerns of Thai monks and how to offer them food during the upcoming Buddhist Lent.
The survey’s participants included 246 monks from the Dhammayuttika Nikaya and Mahayana movements in 11 provinces.
Forty-five per cent of the monks experience obesity, while 40 per cent of them face congenital diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and allergies, partly due to the rich, oily and sugar-laded foods offered to them by the Buddhist faithful.
The average monk’s only sport activities are walking in the morning while on rounds seeking alms, and sweeping temple courtyards. Only around 21 per cent have annual health check-ups.
According to the study, some monks have more than three evening drinks each day, for they must abstain from eating food. However, some of the drinks offered to monks are not healthy, for they are soft drinks with sugar, leading to diabetes.
A dual-tracked campaign is being prepared to teach monks to select healthy drinks, and also to inform food donors about healthy food when offering alms to monks.
The study was conducted mainly by three researchers — Dr Pinij Larpthananon from Chulalongkorn University’s Social Research Institute, Assoc Prof Jongjit Angkatavanich from the university’s Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, and Dr Phramaha Suthit Aphakaro, director of the Buddhist Research Institute, Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University.
