SNACKS, SCREENS AND STRUGGLES

To combat soaring youth obesity, successful initiatives by schools such as Bangkok Christian College are setting the standard for broader reform

- STORY: PATIPAT JANTHONG AND NATTHA KEENAPAN

At 11 years old, Warin* a 5th-grader from Bang kok, weighs 74kg and stands 153cm tall. Like many children struggling with obesity, her daily life is marked by fatigue, joint pain and the constant sense of being different from her peers.

“I don’t like being bigger than other kids,” Warin said. “Friends tease me often, saying I’m too big. It makes me feel uncomfortable... and I get tired easily when I have to run or play with them.”

Warin's struggle with weight began early. By age six, she had developed a strong craving for snacks like chips and fried chicken, while rarely touching vegetables. At school, even though the cafeteria serves balanced lunches, she often feels hungry after and drifts towards shops selling sweets, pancakes, cakes and fried snacks.

“Every day, after lunch, I go and buy snacks. There are so many shops inside the school selling all kinds of food like pancakes, cakes, fried chicken, French fries and fish balls,” she said.

At home, the pattern continues. She eats dinner with her family, but snacks soon follow. Her mother described her as having a “screen-snacking habit”, often eating more than three packs of crisps while playing games for hours at night. Lately, the family has stopped buying crisps and stocked the fridge with fruit, hoping to help Warin break the habit.

“The hardest thing is the environment,” her mother said. “We can try to control what's in the house but once she's at school or outside, it's impossible to watch her all the time. Asking a child to resist that temptation alone is very difficult.”