Exercise among Thais on the rise: study

BANGKOK, November 4 (TNA) - Thai people have been urged to keep fit after a new study showed only a quarter of the population has engaged in exercise. Dr. Krissada Ruangarreerat, manager of Thai Health Promotion Foundation, said 15 million people out of a total of 57 million surveyed said they actually did exercise. Of that figure, people aged between 25-59 accounted for 44.3 percent, followed by those aged between 15-24, at 27.6 percent. About five million people said they did either walking or running work outs, which represented an annual increase of about 1.5 million people. On the occasion of the ‘Thai Health Day Run 2012,’ held on Sunday, newly appointed Public Health Minister Dr. Pradit Sintavanarong said Thailand would aim at increasing the number of healthy people to 40 percent of the population by next year, up from 38.5 percent in 2011. (TNA)