Althouse: 45% of the monks in Thailand are obese.

August 4, 2012

45% of the monks in Thailand are obese.

They're eating what they collect from the public, but the alms-givers are giving them fattening things, apparently.

19 comments:

edutcher said...: Food is love.

Or something.; 8/4/12, 11:42 AM
Jason (the commenter) said...: Living off the public dole is an unhealthy lifestyle choice. Those monks should have their benefits cut and be encouraged to find a job, for their own well being.; 8/4/12, 11:45 AM
rhhardin said...: A Thai love story involving food and advice for getting the girl.; 8/4/12, 11:45 AM
Jason (the commenter) said...: rhhardin: A Thai love story involving food and advice for getting the girl.

Interesting. So, call her like you're stalking her, and wear plenty of lip gloss?; 8/4/12, 11:58 AM
Joe said...: Researchers found that in the evening, when monks are not supposed to eat, many of them drank several sugar-laden soft drinks. Inactivity made the monks' health problems worse.

The answer is right there. Eat more calories than you burn and you get fat.; 8/4/12, 12:17 PM
Irene said...: "Researchers found that in the evening, when monks are not supposed to eat, many of them drank several sugar-laden soft drinks."

Exempting soft drinks from fasting rules is like claiming that oral sex is not really sex.; 8/4/12, 12:19 PM
Sorun said...: I give out cans of lima beans and pumpkin mix to the hungry. (Yes, I know that's an old joke).; 8/4/12, 12:58 PM
Ken Green said...: I presume that people give them mostly carbohydrates. I read that Buddhist monks are in fact allowed to eat meat, but that most people assume they're required to be vegetarians and give them rice, beans, bread, and other starchy (hence fattening) foods.; 8/4/12, 1:52 PM
SomeoneHasToSayIt said...: Carbohydrates are so linked to obesity, that if you see a fat person, you can be SURE they are eating too many carbs.

So, folks must primarily be giving the monks carbs. It's that simple.; 8/4/12, 2:25 PM
Anonymous said...: I wonder what Michelle O has to say about this disturbing world development.; 8/4/12, 2:26 PM
ndspinelli said...: Send Allie "Carrie Nation" Oops over there. She'll get those fat bastards minds right.

Or send the increasingly humorless Crack over there, they'll be depressed and stop eating.

Or send Jenna Jameson, she'll work off that fat.; 8/4/12, 3:45 PM
ndspinelli said...: PatCa, Buddhists are protected under progressive dogma. So, Michele has nothing to say about this.; 8/4/12, 3:48 PM
ndspinelli said...: Ken Green, Buddhists are vegetarian so the best source of protein is verboten.; 8/4/12, 3:50 PM
Ken Green said...: ndspinelli - Sorry, but that's not true.

The Dalai Lama eats meat. And once the animal has been killed, turning it away would be both proud and wasteful.

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/dalailama/article/876530--the-dalai-lama-is-a-meat-eater; 8/4/12, 4:18 PM
Ken Green said...: Also, see here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist_vegetarianism; 8/4/12, 4:25 PM
ndspinelli said...: I stand corrected. When I'm wrong I state it directly.; 8/4/12, 4:30 PM
Ken Green said...: ndspinelli -

Gracious of you! I strive to accept being corrected graciously as well.

As I said, "Buddhists = vegans is a common misconception. I believed the same until I did some reading during a flirtation with Buddhism.; 8/4/12, 4:47 PM
Jaq said...: I am reading "Why we get fat" and research has shown, time after time, that poor diets lead to obesity, and poverty, absent complete starvation, leads to obesity. He also notes that these things are hard to accept because it is so much fun to judge the obese.

Just sayin'; 8/4/12, 7:46 PM
D. B. Light said...: On recent trips to China and Nepal I noted monks standing or sitting quietly, head bowed, seemingly deep in prayer or a meditative trance. On closer observation, however, I found that they were not praying, merely texting.; 8/5/12, 3:45 AM