Thais told to lighten up monks' food as weight becomes a problem

Thais were asked to make more healthy choices when donating food to monks after a survey released Tuesday found that nearly half of the monks recently checked for health problems were overweight or suffering from diet-related diseases.

Of the 246 Buddhist monks in 11 provinces taking part in the survey, 45 per cent were overweight and about 40 per cent suffered from diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, ulcers and allergies that could be blamed on unhealthy diets, the survey conducted by the government’s Thai Health Promotion Foundation found.

The foundation, which released its results prior to the start of Buddhist Lent on August 3, advised laymen to be more selective about the food they donate during the three-month Lenten period when monks are restricted to their monasteries and temples.

Thais tend to offer monks rich foods that were the favourite dishes of departed ones, such as curries and sweets, as a means of making merit.//DPA