Promoting healthy foods in healthcare system in Thailand

Abstract

Background: Inadequate access to healthy foods is among the most important factors contributing to obesity and chronic illnesses due to over-crowdedness of junk foods and bakery shops. Objective: To address an innovative operational model to mitigate the healthy foods inequity in Thailand. Methods: In 2013, the network of health/allied-health professionals from Chulalongkorn University, domestic sciences experts, food professionals and chronic diseases patients from King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital (KCMH) were formed. Healthy foods availability, channel of accessibility and consumer behavior were three main strategies deployed. Ready-to-eat healthy foods (RTEHF) were created to match with simple criteria considering calories per portion, fiber, sugar, fat and salt in accordance with recommended daily intake. Four-squared meter area at outpatient building of the KCMH was provided for operation. The kiosk operated in the morning from Mondays to Fridays during September 2014–May 2015. Consumer survey was done to assess satisfaction and adoption. Results: Sixty-two RTEHF menus were created and >50,000 portions were delivered. Monthly surveys were done with high satisfaction rate. Disease-specific healthy menu book was published and disseminated to the public with >10,000 copies downloaded since December 2016. Large public hospitals expressed their interest to adopt this model. Small/medium foods enterprises voluntarily co-created more healthy foods menus to scale up to all public hospitals. Mass media regarded this as a new way for hospital social responsibility. The KCMH administrators offered permanent healthy-foods-area to serve more patients with integrated on-site health education in 2017. Conclusion: Healthy eating in health care system can be successfully achieved by multi-disciplinary and inter-professional collaboration.