Thailand’s highway to wholesome lives

In Thailand, a quiet however highly effective change is being made, starting not in hospitals or clinics, however in on a regular basis areas the place folks collect to eat: eating rooms within the office.

Unhealthy dietary habits, mixed with a excessive index of physique mass and weight problems, are essential taxpayers to the rising burden of noncommunicable ailments (EV), reminiscent of cardiovascular ailments, diabetes and hypertension.^[1]

In 2022, worldwide, it’s estimated that 1.28 billion adults from 30 to 79 years lived with hypertension,^[2] Whereas 2.5 billion folks aged 18 or extra have been obese, together with 890 million categorized as overweight.^[3]

The rising prevalence of weight problems, diabetes and hypertension have change into essential public well being considerations in Thailand. Making world traits, surveys^[4,5] Present that weight problems (BMI ≥ 25) amongst THA within the working age (15-59 years) elevated from 34.7% in 2008-2009 to 42.four% in 2019-2020. Throughout the identical interval, the prevalence of diabetes elevated from 6.9% to 9.5%, and hypertension from 21.four% to 25.four%. These rising traits come largely from modifications within the food plan, together with better consumption of sugary, fatty and salty meals. That is aggravated by a lower within the consumption of fruit and veggies, with Thai individuals who devour a median of solely three.7 commonplace parts per day, being beneath the 5 really useful commonplace parts.^[6]

In response, the Thailand Ministry of Public Well being launched an formidable initiative in 2020 to rework all its espresso outlets into the office into “Wholesome eating rooms” A spot the place protected, contemporary, clear and nutritious meals are served on daily basis in acceptable dietary portions.

Directed by the Diet Workplace of the Division of Well being (BON), the initiative, guided by WHO World Technique for Meals Security (2022–2030)Its goal was to advertise wholesome consuming habits amongst working age in all workplaces and provides an instance for private and non-private sectors.

Licensed eating rooms beneath this initiative should meet seven key standards developed by the BON in collaboration with the Workplace of Water and Meals Sanitation. These embrace guaranteeing meals hygiene; offering at the least one wholesome menu by provider; guarantee the provision of at the least one contemporary fruit vendor; providing choices for lowered sugar in drinks; together with dietary labeling in meals; present clear indicators that point out the sodium and sugar content material of the condiments; and supply persevering with schooling of vitamin and sanitation of meals for suppliers and customers.

“Reworking our personal canteen first confirmed our dedication to well being and management. This not solely created confidence amongst events, but in addition established the usual and impressed others to comply with our instance.”

– ThisReau of Diet, Division of Well being, Thailand Public Well being Ministry

Fruit vendor with a wide range of contemporary fruits within the division of the Heath canteen.
(Picture credit score: Diet Workplace, Well being Division, Ministry of Public Well being, Thailand)

Even earlier than the change in direction of wholesome eating rooms, the “wholesome menus” have been in operation since 2007, lengthy earlier than the wholesome canteen coverage entered into power in 2020. These menus shouldn’t solely be protected and freed from dangerous micro organism, viruses, parasites, chemical compounds and toxins, but in addition for Bon pointers.^[7] These operational pointers set up particular limits in vitality, fats, sugar, sodium, proteins and dietary fiber in every meal and prohibit the usage of monosodium glutamate (MSG) throughout cooking.

The primary wholesome certification of the canteen was granted to the canteen of the Division of Well being and shortly after the opposite 11 eating rooms inside the Ministry of Public Well being have been subsequently licensed as wholesome eating rooms.

From 2021 to 2023, the marketing campaign expanded all through the nation by public-private partnerships and a mixture of on-line commitments and on the location, supported by regional well being facilities 1-12, the Institute of Well being and Metropolitan Welfare of Bangkok, native administrative organizations and provincial public well being workplaces. In consequence, the variety of wholesome eating rooms grew to 81 in 2021, 160 in 2022 and 245 in 2023, as reported by regional well being facilities.

The wholesome signage of the canteen (in Thai) within the canteen of the Division of Well being says: “Secure and conscious of well being: scale back sugar, fat, sodium and add extra greens as you need.”
(Picture credit score: Diet Workplace, Well being Division, Ministry of Public Well being, Thailand)

To optimize the effectivity of the wholesome menu certification course of, the BON launched the “”Food4 Well being“Utility in 2022. This digital platform considerably simplified varied actions, together with the inspections of the canteen on the location by the audit and inspection officers, the analysis of the composition of the recipes and the dietary worth based mostly on verification lists and operational pointers, information assortment of every provider and transport to the BON for the ultimate analysis, and the emission of the emission and distribution of certificates to the suppliers of meals suppliers by regional well being facilities and public well being workplaces.

In consequence, the time approval time was drastically lowered from one month to lower than 10 minutes. Meals suppliers can now request a wholesome menu certification just by sending the paperwork required as attachments. As soon as accepted, the certification remains to be legitimate for 2 years. As well as, the platform presents a “pin” of location, which makes it simpler for customers to determine espresso outlets that provide wholesome menus.

“Earlier than becoming a member of the Wholesome singing program, I frightened if my clients would settle for small modifications, reminiscent of including extra greens or lowering oil, fats and message. However over time, they felt higher, they started to request more healthy choices and even returned to my retailer in better quantity. Now I’m proud that it’s a victory not just for my enterprise, but in addition for the well being of the neighborhood.”

– HEALTHY SONG SELLER

Nevertheless, earlier than this digital transformation, the wholesome canteen certification course of additionally required audit and inspection officers of regional well being facilities and provincial public well being workplaces to make visits on the location all through the nation. Between 2020 and 2023, these groups evaluated the eating rooms in a number of areas utilizing a survey, based mostly on the seven standards. They supplied feedback for the required enhancements, and restaurant operators that efficiently accomplished the seven standards, together with the exhibition of dietary profiles within the menus and the presentation of assist paperwork reminiscent of proof, turned eligible to request certification, which remained legitimate for 2 years. Nevertheless, to enhance effectivity, the wholesome canteen certification course of additionally utterly went to a web-based system in 2024.

“The Food4health software has reworked the way in which we work, lowering the certification time of weeks to minutes and considerably lowering operational prices. Extra importantly, our effectivity has improved and has allowed us to spend extra time supporting suppliers to enhance meals high quality.”

– Regional Meals Inspector

This transformation not solely simplified the complete process, but in addition allowed officers to finish their duties extra effectively, dedicate extra time to progressive initiatives and considerably scale back operational prices, reminiscent of transport and meals bills.

Public-private associations continued to broaden in 2024 to incorporate authorities businesses, non-public organizations, hospitals, prisons, meals courtyards in purchasing facilities and academic establishments. In consequence, wholesome eating rooms now function in Bangkok and the 76 provinces, with 373 profitable eating rooms on the finish of 2024, which reaches 92% of the target goal of 405 for the 12 months.

The consumption of a wide range of wholesome meals all through the course of life not solely avoids malnutrition in all its types, but in addition a wide range of NCD.^[8] As well as, a current report from the Well being Division signifies that corporations with wholesome eating rooms expertise much less staff who take a sickness license and incur decrease medical bills,^[9] highlighting the numerous advantages of adopting a wholesome cafeteria initiative.

Nevertheless, the challenges nonetheless stay, since some operators of the canteen face finances limitations to adjust to the meals safety requirements required by nationwide rules.

However the impulse is robust. The Division of Well being stays to broaden the initiative of Canteen Wholesome all through the nation, with the purpose of certifying 1,000 wholesome eating rooms by 2027. This formidable goal will likely be achieved by shut collaboration with all corporations, non-public corporations and small companies, making the most of an information -based resolution -based course of and a mixture of on-line well being schooling campaigns and on the location. The target is to empower Thai to make knowledgeable choices for protected, clear and wholesome meals, serving to to guard in opposition to NCDs and enhance their high quality of life as they age.

Statement:

They sing in Thailand is a devoted house that brings collectively a number of distributors, every that gives their very own dishes, which could be consumed in a typical space or take.

This attribute story was contributed by the Workplace of Diet, Division of Well being, Ministry of Public Well being, Thailand. Extra data could be accessed on the initiative of the wholesome canteen by the official web site of the workplace

References

1. World Well being Group. World State Report on Non -Communicable Illnesses. Geneva, Switzerland. 2014.
2. World Well being Group. Key details on hypertension. Geneva, Switzerland. 2022. Out there at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-heets/element/hypertension
3. World Well being Group. Weight problems and obese. Geneva, Switzerland. 2022. Out there at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-heets/element/obesity-and-overweight
4. Wichai Ekpalakorn. Report on four^th Public Well being Survey for bodily examination. Thai Public Well being Survey Workplace and Well being System Analysis Institute. Bangkok, Thailand. 2008-2009.
5. Wichai Ekpalakorn. Report on 6^th Public Well being Survey for bodily examination. Thai Public Well being Survey Workplace and Well being System Analysis Institute. Bangkok, Thailand. 2019-2020.
6. World Well being Group. Weight loss program, vitamin and prevention of continual ailments: Report of a WHO/FAO skilled session. WHO Technical Experiences Sequence, No. 916. Gin, Switzerland. 2003.
7. Diet Workplace, Well being Division, Thailand Public Well being Ministry. Operational pointers on wholesome menus. Bangkok, Thailand. April 2020.
8. World Well being Group. Nutritious diet. Geneva, Switzerland. 2019. Out there at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-heets/element/healthy-diet
9. Workplace of Well being Promotion, Division of Well being, Thailand Ministry of Public Well being. Report on well being promotion amongst working age in business institutions. Bangkok, Thailand. 2024-2025.