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Thailand is undergoing a health-risk transition with overweight and obesity emerging as an important population health problem. This paper reports on a study of the transition, focusing on “lifestyle” factors such as diet (fried foods, soft drinks, Western-style fast foods) and physical activity (mild, moderate, strenuous exercise, housework/gardening and screen time).

A baseline survey was administered to 87 134 adult students from all regions of Thailand attending an open university.

54% of the cohort was female. Participants’ median age was 29 years. By self-reported Asian standards, 16% of the sample was obese (body mass index (BMI)⩾25) and 15% overweight at risk (BMI⩾23–24.9). Men were twice as likely as women to be overweight (21% vs 9%) or obese (23% vs 10%). Obesity was associated with urban residence and doing little housework or gardening and with spending more …