The Ministry of Public Health on Wednesday said its public campaign urging Thais to count their carbohydrate intake has been successful.
Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsutin said over 18 million Thais have been educated on how to count their carbohydrate intake, a successful figure given that 20 million people were targeted for the project by March 20.
Mr Somsak said with the support of village health volunteers nationwide, 445,791 people were able to track their carbohydrate consumption between November 2024 and this February.
As a result, over 90,000 lost an average of 2.89kg, which will help reduce the risks of non-communicable diseases. The minister said 50 million Thais are expected to join the project by the end of this year via the Smart OSM mobile application.
The project is part of the ministry's drive to improve health conditions among Thais by urging them to plan their carbohydrate intakes to control their blood sugar levels, also via www.nubcarb.com.
He said a healthier population would reduce healthcare costs, hospital overcrowding, and medical personnel's workload, which would also help with healthcare personnel shortages. Mr Somsak said the ideal weight for men is their height (in centimetres) minus 100, or minus 110 for women. He urged those with obesity or diabetes, or risks of these conditions, to use the platforms to improve their health.