By THANYARAT DOKSONE
(Photo credit - PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL/AFP/Getty Images)
On a break from fighting crimes and handling traffic jams, potbellied policemen in Bangkok are combating another enemy: obesity.
While not much can be done about the clogged roads, an effort is under way to whip Thailand’s potbellied policemen into shape with the start of a 12-day boot camp this week.
About 60 overweight officers from around the country are taking part in the program, which includes dawn-to-dusk exercise and lectures on healthy living at a police training center in suburban Bangkok.
(Photo credit - AP Photo/Apichart Weerawong)
Wearing T-shirts with the slogan: “Get rid of the belly,” they start their days with pre-dawn jogs followed by yoga, aerobic dance classes, tai chi to reduce stress and improve blood flow, and lectures from nutritionists and trainers.
The biggest weight loser at the end of the program wins 5,000 baht ($160), a bonus for underpaid police officers though many say their real motivation is the chance to improve their health.
“The school children call me `Uncle Fat’ all the time, but I don’t mind. I’m more concerned about my health, because I have diabetes,” said Sgt. Maj. Wanchat Phonorthong, a 49-year-old traffic officer who weighs 133 kilograms (293 pounds) and is 185 centimeters (six feet) tall.
“I’m going to lose some of my belly because they have me work out every day and they only give me half the food I usually eat. It’s torture but I have to do it for myself,” he said.
(Photo credit - AP Photo/Apichart Weerawong)
Annual checkups last year for Thailand’s 200,000 police officers showed that the five most common concerns were obesity, high cholesterol, liver problems, high blood pressure and diabetes.
“Police officers tend to have higher health risks than some other professions because they don’t eat and sleep on a normal schedule. Eating at the end of late-night shifts, drinking and smoking all contribute to their obesity,” said Col. Pornpen Bunnag, who designed the course and heads the Family Medicine Department at Bangkok’s Police General Hospital.
“Not only that,” she said. “Their potbellies make them look less sharp in their uniforms.”
Source – http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/05/fat-thai-police-officers-_n_3550390.html#slide=2660555
Fat cops sent to boot camp…
On a break from fighting crimes and handling traffic jams, potbellied policemen in Bangkok are combating another enemy: obesity.
While not much can be done about the clogged roads, an effort is under way to whip Thailand’s potbellied policemen into shape with the start of a 12-day boot camp this week.
About 60 overweight officers from around the country are taking part in the program, which includes dawn-to-dusk exercise and lectures on healthy living at a police training center in suburban Bangkok.
Wearing T-shirts with the slogan: “Get rid of the belly,” they start their days with pre-dawn jogs followed by yoga, aerobic dance classes, tai chi to reduce stress and improve blood flow, and lectures from nutritionists and trainers.
The biggest weight loser at the end of the program wins 5,000 baht ($160), a bonus for underpaid police officers though many say their real motivation is the chance to improve their health.
“The school children call me `Uncle Fat’ all the time, but I don’t mind. I’m more concerned about my health, because I have diabetes,” said Sgt. Maj. Wanchat Phonorthong, a 49-year-old traffic officer who weighs 133 kilograms (293 pounds) and is 185 centimeters (six feet) tall.
“I’m going to lose some of my belly because they have me work out every day and they only give me half the food I usually eat. It’s torture but I have to do it for myself,” he said.
Annual checkups last year for Thailand’s 200,000 police officers showed that the five most common concerns were obesity, high cholesterol, liver problems, high blood pressure and diabetes.
“Police officers tend to have higher health risks than some other professions because they don’t eat and sleep on a normal schedule. Eating at the end of late-night shifts, drinking and smoking all contribute to their obesity,” said Col. Pornpen Bunnag, who designed the course and heads the Family Medicine Department at Bangkok’s Police General Hospital.
“Not only that,” she said. “Their potbellies make them look less sharp in their uniforms.”
Source – http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/05/fat-thai-police-officers-_n_3550390.html#slide=2660555
How to make beer ice-cream…
Chang, Thailand’s leading beer brewer, has introduced beer flavoured ice-cream with alcohol levels of around 3% for those who want to get intoxicated the sweetest and creamiest way possible.
These ice-creams are served at selected outdoor beer gardens in Bangkok and tourist spots during the Christmas and New Year season.
Beer enthusiasts welcomed the new product called “Chang Export Soft Serve” that can be enjoyed with three topping selections, namely almonds, chocolate chips and caramel.
As expected, the Stop Drink Network of the Thai Health Promotion Foundation is not amused, saying that beverage companies are launching these new products to encourage young people to drink, particularly during the festive season.
Chang’s beer ice-cream madness will run until the 31st of December.
But what about making your own beer ice-cream? Here’s a simple recipe…
What you need:
4 eggs
Half cup of sugar
Half liter of beer
1 cup of cream
Ice cream maker (ideally)
Bowl and pan
What you need to do:
Mix the 4 egg yolks and the sugar together in a bowl.
Mix the beer and the cream, put it in a pot over the stove and let it simmer for some minutes. Stir regularly.
Then slowly pour the beer cream in the bowl with the sugar yolk. Whisk while you pour.
Take the whole substance and put it back into the pot, heat it and wait until it thickens (5-7 minutes). Stir.
Then put it back again into the bowl, let it cool down for a while and put it in the fridge for at least 5 hours (or overnight).
After the cooling period, the substance needs to be churned manually until it has a “soft serve” consistency. This can also be done by an ice cream maker as per the machine’s instruction.
Then the beer ice cream can be put in a plastic container and needs to rest another three hours in the fridge before consumption.
Source – http://investvine.com/beer-ice-cream-causes-stir-in-thailand-recipe/