Most Thais spend 14 waking hours doing nothing physically, study shows

“Despite being awake, they are not physically active. They spend their day sitting inside cars, at their desk or in meeting rooms. They usually lie down while watching TV or checking their smart phones,” Health Department’s director general Dr Wachira Pengjuntr said Tuesday. 

He was citing findings from a survey conducted by the Mahidol University’s Institute for Population and Social Research. 

Wachira pointed out that such long hours of physical inactivity were harmful to health. 

“Foreign research shows being physically inactive hurts the metabolism and control of the blood-sugar level. This means people are at a risk of heart, coronary and brain diseases,” he said. 

He added that people’s chronic health problems would also take a toll on the country’s economy.