Environmental consequences related to nutritional status of Thai populations

Abstract

© 2020, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature. Aim: To quantify the cumulative environmental impact related to dietary preference of Thai adults classified by nutritional status. Subject and methods: The study used the data from the Thailand National Food Consumption Survey in 2006. A sample of 4056 participants aged between 19 and 60 years were categorized (normal, overweight, and obesity) by body mass index (BMI) classification for Asians. Food consumption patterns were analyzed and amounts of popular food consumed were calculated. Each commodity’s input was converted into output during the life-cycle to CO2 equivalent (CO2-eq) using a Thai database. The most popular plant- and animal-based foods were selected to quantify their emission of GHGs (greenhouse gases) during transportation. Results: Among the ten popular commodities, seven were plant-based foods. Annual GHG emissions by overweight and obesity were higher than that of the normal groups (367, 319, and 301 kgCO2-eq respectively). The highest GHG contributor was rice. Beef emitted more than other animal-based foods. Conclusions: Food choices ultimately result in impacts on the environment. They also have consequences on public health related to health outcomes. It is therefore recommended that environmentally friendly consumption practices should be encouraged for climate change and food security.