- Photo: The Nation/ANN
BANGKOK: Bangkok has reported that a significant proportion of its residents suffer from high blood lipid levels, prompting the city to pledge a comprehensive development of infrastructure, sports facilities, and public health services.
This was disclosed during World Obesity Day 2025, held on Saturday (March 1), where Governor Chadchart Sittipunt emphasised the need for a systemic approach to tackling the city’s growing obesity problem.
Speaking at the event, themed “Changing Systems, Healthier Lives” and held at the SIAMSCAPE building, Governor Sittipunt highlighted the stark findings of the city’s ongoing free health check-up programme.
“Cities and their residents are intrinsically linked,” he stated. “If the city is obese, so are its people. Of the 520,000 residents screened so far, out of a planned one million, 34% are overweight and 25% suffer from diabetes, with a worrying number exhibiting high blood lipid levels."
In response, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) outlined a series of proactive measures. These include the continuation of over 2,000 health projects funded by the National Health Security Office, improving school nutrition programmes, and an expanding sports facilities. The latter has already seen a 17% increase in usage, with over 11 million visits in 2024.
The city is also focusing on creating a more pedestrian-friendly environment, aiming to complete 2,000 kilometres of footpaths, up from the current 800 kilometres. Plans include the development of skywalks, covered walkways, and canalside paths, alongside the creation of 357 “15-minute gardens” within easy reach of residents’ homes. Bike-sharing schemes and free city-wide running events are also being promoted.
On the treatment side, the BMA is developing urban medicine centres in its 11 hospitals, with specialised clinics for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as obesity, stroke, diabetes, and heart disease. Telemedicine services are also being expanded, having already served over 18,000 patients.
“Developing the system will enable people to be more active, effectively burning calories and combating obesity,” Governor Chadchart concluded. “The city must take responsibility.”
The World Obesity Day event featured various interactive exhibits, including:
The Tunnel of Obesity: An exhibition exploring the complexities of obesity, including causes, impacts, and lifestyle behaviors, and learning how to avoid risks from the surrounding environment in the "Obese City Trap" tunnel.
Tower of Awareness: An LED tower presenting key information about obesity, real patient experiences, and inspiration for change under the hashtag #ObeseThenChange.
Multidisciplinary Expert Seminars: Discussions on the impact of obesity on the economy, cities, and mental health, in-depth analysis of "system change" approaches to support healthy living, self-care for obese individuals, mental health and weight loss, exercise for obese individuals, healthy eating for obese individuals, and interactive activities like the Healthy Tree, where participants write small promises to themselves to start their journey to better health.
World Obesity Day, observed annually on March 4, is a global initiative led by the World Obesity Federation and the World Health Organisation to raise awareness about obesity and its health risks.
The Bangkok event was attended by Deputy Governor Thavida Kamolvej, Deputy Permanent Secretary Sunthorn Sunthornchart, and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Chanchai Sittipunt, Director of King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, alongside representatives from the Thai Red Cross Society and the Thai Health Promotion Foundation. - The Nation/ANN
