I am from Australia to and I there is a lot of advertising and talk of this here. To some degree I think it is true but I dont think we are the only country with the same problem. We do enjoy our food and I think it is just a habit the way we live

Its funny to know that the developed nations are experiencing overweight problems. Just shows how lazy they are.

Modern conveniences and the faster pace of life contribute a lot.  No one walks anywhere, and exercise isn't built into our daily life but must be scheduled, like another task in an already hectic life.  The problem is spreading to developing countries, too.  When I returned to Chiang Mai this year, not having been there since 1989, the first things I noticed was that now everybody had a motorbike, and there were lots of overweight Thais, something that was practically non-existent before.

Some countries are having even more serious problems.  Indonesia, for instance, has a major problem with high blood pressure and heart attacks, because its traditional cuisine incorporates either coconut milk or peanuts, both high in very, very bad fats.

very true, back in the day i had to walk to school everyday, in all weather conditions. but now parents opt to drive their kids to school as it deemed a lot safer. Why has problems arisen in Indonesia when their cuisine has always been the same? i would've thought the places that you've mentioned is a lot proactive to those in the westernized countries and wouldn't have had the same problems.

All contries have that problem. Some have more, some have less. I myself just play ALOT of sports so it has never been a problem.

It's not so much a new problem with Indonesian food as it is that it is more recognized and there is more of an attempt to address it. 

Its just the modern life style!

People just don't seem to want to cook real food any more, or work hard, that leads to weight issues. 

If it's good food then yeah I guess. But we keep off the pounds if we can.

Seems amazing to me that a country weaned on sport and outdoor living is struggling with this. Thougt it was only rain-soden northern hemisphere countries that were truggling...

Kind regards - Olly

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"When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable. It is designed to make its own people comfortable."

I think this is the new life style......not to worry about it.