IQ and development of Thai
children falling below international standards
Sanitsuda Ekachai on the causes
By Jon Fernquest "Freedom man. That's what it's all about."
- Peter Fonda in the film Easy Rider (1969)
If
you don't eat properly, it turns
out,
freedom can sometimes mean the freedom to kill or disable yourself slowly while not even knowing that you are
doing it.That seems to be the message of today's column by veteran Bangkok Post journalist @Sanitsuda Ekachai on a form of malnutrition spreading in Thailand that has nothing to do with poverty.
Today's column is reminiscent of the classic 2004 film Super Size Me (See Wikipedia and movie poster on right) in which the filmmaker eats nothing but McDonalds food for one month and develops severe health problems as a result.
Today's article begins after the vocabulary:
(Photo on right of french fries, a typical junk food).
IQ - Intelligence
Quotient, a score from one of a standardized test designed to measure
intelligence (See Wikipedia)
development, child development - the biological and psychological changes that occur in human beings between birth and the end of their teenage years (adolescence) (See Wikipedia)
standards - acceptable levels of quality or achievement
freedom - the state or condition of being allowed to do what you want to do
"Freedom man. That's what it is all about." - famous quote from a movie that defined the era of the 1960s and 70s in the United States (See source of original quote)
...., man - a common way to end sentences in the 1960s and 1970s slang language
it turns out - the unexpected result is
the message of Y - the idea that a person is trying to tell other people (communicate to them)
malnutrition - insufficient, excessive or imbalanced consumption of nutrients that has a negative effect on health (See Wikipedia)
reminiscent of Y - makes you think of Y
nutrients - chemicals that an organism needs to live and grow, they enrich the body, build and repair tissues, give heat and energy, and regulate body processes (See Wikipedia)
realm - an area of activity, interest or thought
nutrition - the process through eating of delivering to cells the materials the body needs to survive (See Wikipedia)
typical - usual qualities or characteristics, the way something usually is
junk food - unhealthy but delicious food, "foods which are perceived to have little or no nutritional value, or to products with nutritional value but which also have ingredients considered unhealthy when regularly eaten" (See Wikipedia)
development, child development - the biological and psychological changes that occur in human beings between birth and the end of their teenage years (adolescence) (See Wikipedia)
standards - acceptable levels of quality or achievement
freedom - the state or condition of being allowed to do what you want to do
"Freedom man. That's what it is all about." - famous quote from a movie that defined the era of the 1960s and 70s in the United States (See source of original quote)
...., man - a common way to end sentences in the 1960s and 1970s slang language
it turns out - the unexpected result is
the message of Y - the idea that a person is trying to tell other people (communicate to them)
malnutrition - insufficient, excessive or imbalanced consumption of nutrients that has a negative effect on health (See Wikipedia)
reminiscent of Y - makes you think of Y
nutrients - chemicals that an organism needs to live and grow, they enrich the body, build and repair tissues, give heat and energy, and regulate body processes (See Wikipedia)
realm - an area of activity, interest or thought
nutrition - the process through eating of delivering to cells the materials the body needs to survive (See Wikipedia)
typical - usual qualities or characteristics, the way something usually is
junk food - unhealthy but delicious food, "foods which are perceived to have little or no nutritional value, or to products with nutritional value but which also have ingredients considered unhealthy when regularly eaten" (See Wikipedia)
COMMENTARY
Suffer the little children
18/02/2010Sanitsuda Ekachai
As the country is struggling with seemingly endless political emergencies on a daily basis, it is a cause for alarm that the IQ and development of Thai children have fallen below international standards. According to the Health Department of the Ministry of Public Health, the World Health Organisation's standard scores for IQ and age-appropriate child development are between 90-100. In developed countries, it is 104. In Thailand, it is only 88 - a drop from 91 that was recorded 12 years ago.
on a daily basis - happening
every day
struggling - having serious difficulties มีความยุ่งยาก
alarm - to cause worry or fear that something unpleasant or dangerous might happen or is happening ทำให้กลัว
intelligence - tehe ability of the mind or brain for "abstract thought, reasoning, planning and problem solving, the use of language, and to learn" (See Wikipedia)
development - the gradual growth and formation of something
international - ระหว่างประเทศ between countries
standards - an acceptable level of quality or achievement มาตรฐาน
appropriate - acceptable in a situation
struggling - having serious difficulties มีความยุ่งยาก
alarm - to cause worry or fear that something unpleasant or dangerous might happen or is happening ทำให้กลัว
intelligence - tehe ability of the mind or brain for "abstract thought, reasoning, planning and problem solving, the use of language, and to learn" (See Wikipedia)
development - the gradual growth and formation of something
international - ระหว่างประเทศ between countries
standards - an acceptable level of quality or achievement มาตรฐาน
appropriate - acceptable in a situation
The state of health of Thai children under the age of five is also declining. A decade ago, 72% of children under five had proper developmental stages. Now, the figure has dropped to only 67%, said Dr Somyot Deerasamee, director-general of the Health Department.
Despite the political turmoil, Thailand's is still a relatively strong economy with a huge agricultural and food base. During the past 30 years, Thailand has also been highly successful in eliminating severe child malnutrition as well as in improving maternal and child health care.
state
- condition สภาพ
declining - worsening
decade - a period of ten years ทศวรรษ, ระยะเวลา 10 ปี
proper - correct, is what it should be
developmental stages - the important changes or "milestones" in a child's life that happen as he or she develops (See Wikipedia)
figure - an amount จำนวน
turmoil - a situation of great disorder and confusion ความปั่นป่วน
base - the lowest or most basic part of something (that the rest stands upon and depends upon)
food base - the source of food that feeds the people of the country everyday
eliminating - stopping, getting rid of
severe - very serious and unpleasant รุนแรง
maternal - dealing with the mothers of children
declining - worsening
decade - a period of ten years ทศวรรษ, ระยะเวลา 10 ปี
proper - correct, is what it should be
developmental stages - the important changes or "milestones" in a child's life that happen as he or she develops (See Wikipedia)
figure - an amount จำนวน
turmoil - a situation of great disorder and confusion ความปั่นป่วน
base - the lowest or most basic part of something (that the rest stands upon and depends upon)
food base - the source of food that feeds the people of the country everyday
eliminating - stopping, getting rid of
severe - very serious and unpleasant รุนแรง
maternal - dealing with the mothers of children
Why then the setback?
More disturbing statistics: Only 30% of newborns are breast-fed for the whole six months after birth. As many as 45% of the infants aged between six and 12 months do not receive a proper diet according to their development stages. When in nursery and primary school, the children develop an addiction to fatty foods and excessive sugar and salt from regular consumption of junk food that is also laced with additives and chemicals.
setback
- something that happens which delays or prevents a process from
advancing การหยุดยั้งการก้าวหน้า,ความล้มเหลว,การถอยหลัง
statistics - facts about something, described by counting them สถิติ
nursery school - a place for young children อนุบาล
primary school - the first school after nursery school for children around 6 years old and up
excessive - too much, much greater than is usual; too much of something มากเกินปริมาณที่พอดี
consumption - using, eating or drinking something การบริโภค
statistics - facts about something, described by counting them สถิติ
nursery school - a place for young children อนุบาล
primary school - the first school after nursery school for children around 6 years old and up
excessive - too much, much greater than is usual; too much of something มากเกินปริมาณที่พอดี
consumption - using, eating or drinking something การบริโภค
During 2004-7, the number of children who regularly consume sodas and junk food increased 1.8- and 1.5-fold respectively, he reported. Meanwhile, school children eat only 1.5 spoonfuls of vegetables a day when the proper amount per day is 12 spoonfuls.
Apparently, poverty is no longer the cause of child malnutrition in Thailand. It is improper diet and lifestyle. Dr Somyot cited research showing that a child spends about 9,800 baht a year on junk food while his/her expenses for education amount to only 3,240 baht. The result is malnutrition and bad nutrition simultaneously. According to the Health Department, one in five children in Thailand will suffer obesity by the year 2015. And one in 10 schoolchildren will be vulnerable to diabetes, high blood pressure and other heart diseases due to obesity. These three diseases cut deep into public medical care expenses. In 2005, they cost the country 70,000 million baht. The future is grim judging from past statistics. In 1999, about 2% of children and teenagers suffered from diabetes. Five years later, the figure rose nine-fold to 18.
consume
- to use a supply of something ใช้จนหมดไป
1.5-fold - 1.5 times more (than the original amount)
spoonfuls - one spoon "full" of something like food or medicine
poverty - the condition of being extremely poor ความจน
improper - not proper (not correct, not what it should be)
diet - the kinds of food that a person eats regularly
lifestyle - the living conditions and things people do everyday (fashion, home decoration, pets, cooking, music, tv, movies, garden, etc) รูปแบบการดำเนินชีวิต
cited - mentioned (to support a point you are making or arguing) กล่าวถึง
nutrition - providing the materials necessary to your body so it can grow and be healthy, many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with good nutrition (See Wikipedia)
simultaneously - happening at the same time ในเวลาเดียวกัน,ที่พร้อมกัน
suffer - to experience physical or mental pain or a bad condition
obesity - being overweight, being too heavy, being "fat" (See Wikipedia)
vulnerable - easily affected or damaged ที่เปราะบาง ที่ล่อแหลมต่อการเกิดภัยภิบัติ
diabetes - a serious medical condition in which your body does not produce enough insulin to reduce the amount of sugar in the blood โรคเบาหวาน (See Wikipedia)
high blood pressure, hypertension - a dangerous medical condition when a person's blood pressure is too high for long periods of time (See Wikipedia)
blood pressure - the pressure of a person's blood exerted on the walls of the blood vessels, one of a person's vital signs that doctors look at to determine health (See Wikipedia)
due to - because of
grim - unpleasant and making you feel upset and worried ที่โหดร้าย
cut deep into public medical care expenses - use up or consume a lot of money
grim - unpleasant, depressing, and difficult to accept
judging from Y - using Y to reach an opinion about something
statistics - facts obtained from analysed information expressed in numbers
1.5-fold - 1.5 times more (than the original amount)
spoonfuls - one spoon "full" of something like food or medicine
poverty - the condition of being extremely poor ความจน
improper - not proper (not correct, not what it should be)
diet - the kinds of food that a person eats regularly
lifestyle - the living conditions and things people do everyday (fashion, home decoration, pets, cooking, music, tv, movies, garden, etc) รูปแบบการดำเนินชีวิต
cited - mentioned (to support a point you are making or arguing) กล่าวถึง
nutrition - providing the materials necessary to your body so it can grow and be healthy, many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with good nutrition (See Wikipedia)
simultaneously - happening at the same time ในเวลาเดียวกัน,ที่พร้อมกัน
suffer - to experience physical or mental pain or a bad condition
obesity - being overweight, being too heavy, being "fat" (See Wikipedia)
vulnerable - easily affected or damaged ที่เปราะบาง ที่ล่อแหลมต่อการเกิดภัยภิบัติ
diabetes - a serious medical condition in which your body does not produce enough insulin to reduce the amount of sugar in the blood โรคเบาหวาน (See Wikipedia)
high blood pressure, hypertension - a dangerous medical condition when a person's blood pressure is too high for long periods of time (See Wikipedia)
blood pressure - the pressure of a person's blood exerted on the walls of the blood vessels, one of a person's vital signs that doctors look at to determine health (See Wikipedia)
due to - because of
grim - unpleasant and making you feel upset and worried ที่โหดร้าย
cut deep into public medical care expenses - use up or consume a lot of money
grim - unpleasant, depressing, and difficult to accept
judging from Y - using Y to reach an opinion about something
statistics - facts obtained from analysed information expressed in numbers
At the other end of the spectrum is the persistent problem of child malnutrition which causes stunted physical growth and slow learning, thus robbing children of their chance to realise their full potential which will end up hurting economic productivity, said Dr Narong Saiwong from the Nutrition Association of Thailand. It is good news that the health and education authorities have joined forces with the Thai Health Promotion Foundation, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and the Department of Local Administration to tackle the problem of child malnutrition and obesity. But their plan, which targets nurseries, schools and communities, will definitely not be enough..
spectrum
- a wide variety, many different types
persistent - continuing อย่างต่อเนื่อง
stunted - prevented a person from growing as they normally should
physical - real things that can be touched and seen (not just an idea or legal right)
chance - opportunity
potential - the possibility of success ที่มีศักยภาพ ที่เป็นไปได้
realise full potential - be able to become all the goods things you could become (under ideal circumstances)
productivity - producing more with the same amount of inputs (labour, energy, etc)
authorities - the people with power, the government, people in official organisations who have the legal power to make people obey laws or rules เจ้าหน้าที่ (ตำรวจ หรือผู้มีอำนาจ)
joined forces with - work together to solve problem
tackle - to make an organised and determine attempt to deal with a problem จัดการ จัดการกับปัญหา แก้ปัญหา
targets - goals or levels you plan to achieve
persistent - continuing อย่างต่อเนื่อง
stunted - prevented a person from growing as they normally should
physical - real things that can be touched and seen (not just an idea or legal right)
chance - opportunity
potential - the possibility of success ที่มีศักยภาพ ที่เป็นไปได้
realise full potential - be able to become all the goods things you could become (under ideal circumstances)
productivity - producing more with the same amount of inputs (labour, energy, etc)
authorities - the people with power, the government, people in official organisations who have the legal power to make people obey laws or rules เจ้าหน้าที่ (ตำรวจ หรือผู้มีอำนาจ)
joined forces with - work together to solve problem
tackle - to make an organised and determine attempt to deal with a problem จัดการ จัดการกับปัญหา แก้ปัญหา
targets - goals or levels you plan to achieve
The problem of child obesity and malnutrition is not about ignorance that can be redressed through better nutrition information. It is about the money power of the junk food industry, the impotent bureaucracy and weak consumer rights awareness. It is also about the lack of state welfare support for working mothers. We need the political will to confront the junk food industry and to curtail their advertisements, which bombard our children day in and day out.
redress problem - solve
problem (do things to end problem)
power - having control over people and activities
impotent - not having power
bureaucracy - large and slow government departments (with lots of red tape)
consumer - someone who buys and uses goods and services ผู้บริโภค
rights - what the law allows you to have and do สิทธิ์
awareness - the state of knowing about something การรับรู้, การทราบ
lack - does not have ขาดแคลน
welfare - help given, especially by the state or an organization, to people who need it; good care and living conditions สวัสดิภาพ
support - help, by giving money, for example สนับสนุน
confront - to face, meet or deal with a difficult person, group or situation เผชิญหน้า
bombard - when people are hit by something over and over again (like advertisements or some message) as if they were being attacked by bombs
day in and day out - every day
power - having control over people and activities
impotent - not having power
bureaucracy - large and slow government departments (with lots of red tape)
consumer - someone who buys and uses goods and services ผู้บริโภค
rights - what the law allows you to have and do สิทธิ์
awareness - the state of knowing about something การรับรู้, การทราบ
lack - does not have ขาดแคลน
welfare - help given, especially by the state or an organization, to people who need it; good care and living conditions สวัสดิภาพ
support - help, by giving money, for example สนับสนุน
confront - to face, meet or deal with a difficult person, group or situation เผชิญหน้า
bombard - when people are hit by something over and over again (like advertisements or some message) as if they were being attacked by bombs
day in and day out - every day
We need a strong consumer movement that can hit the junk food industry where it hurts most - its pocket..
We need better work and welfare policies so that working mothers can breast-feed and spend more time with their children.
It helps the working mothers greatly, too, if our culture teaches fathers to help with child-rearing and housework.
Short of these moves, the twin problem of child obesity and malnutrition will be here to stay - and worsen.
movement
- a group of people who share the same aim and work together to achieve
it การเคลื่อนไหวเพื่อวัตถุประสงค์ทางการเมือง
child-rearing - the long process of raising children in a family
twin problem - two problems that go closely together (like "twins" brothers or sisters who look the same)
child-rearing - the long process of raising children in a family
twin problem - two problems that go closely together (like "twins" brothers or sisters who look the same)
Sanitsuda Ekachai is Assistant Editor (Outlook), Bangkok Post
Email: sanitsudae@bangkokpost.co.th
(Source: Suffer the little children, 18/02/2010, Sanitsuda Ekachai, link)
