Category: The Bangkok Post

Re: “Populism takes priority”, (BP, Oct 18).

Sadly, by choosing populism, the Bhumjaithai Party (BJT) missed a major opportunity to show that it can deliver solid benefits both during its fleeting tenure and the longer term. It should have pivoted its signature Khon La Khrueng Plus cost-sharing programme to focus on productivity-increasing goods and services rather than consumption for consumption’s sake.

For instance, farmers are 30% of our labour force, yet their incomes account for only 8%-9% of our GDP. Worse, 90% of farm households have debt loads so heavy that, on average, 48% of their already meagre H/H income goes to repay debt principal and interest.

So what does BJT do but tell them, “Go on a vacation, and we’ll pay half of your hotel bills!” Worse, there’ll be zero financial multiplier effect, for nobody will hire more staff or expand production capacity for a one-shot government cash injection.

BJT should have shown its vision and creativity by learning from Lao Tze, who taught, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man how to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.”

For farmers, Mr Anutin should have co-paid costs of walk-behind tillers, harvest machines, or high-yielding seeds, which could show concrete gains even in one season. For those in our vital tourism industry, halving the costs of intensive language training would have empowered Thai guides to demand more for their skills and save tour firms from having to import foreign guides.

Show vision, Mr Anutin.

Burin Kantabutra

Polling can help

Re: “Parties jostle over charter rewrite path”, (Opinion, Oct 18).

Post columnist Chairith Yonpiam identifies a chronic symptom of Thailand’s dysfunctional politics. He neither identifies the disease nor offers any treatment. The disease is the usual white elephant rampaging unchecked. The treatment is to facilitate Thais knowing what their fellow Thai citizens think.

If a poll were done to discover what the nation’s voters think about, for example, whether or not chapters 1 and 2 of the latest permanent constitution are being rewritten, that would send a salutary signal to Bhumjaithai, the People’s Party, and other institutions. For some reason, no such pertinent polls are done.

Surely each and every Thai deserves to know what their fellow citizens actually think on such issues, do they not?

At the very least, a few such polls of public opinion would inform much healthier political discussion and law-making.

Felix Qui

The Thai Chamber of Commerce has proposed “Quick Big Win” measures to enhance labour management.

After a meeting with Labour Minister Treenuch Thienthong, Poj Aramwattananont, chairman of the chamber, said it has proposed six measures to address labour challenges, aiming for tangible results within four months.

The proposals include opposing amendments to the draft Labour Protection Act. He said the private sector should have an opportunity to express balanced and fair opinions for both employers and employees. Any amendment should not adversely affect national competitiveness, the investment climate or overall economic conditions.

The chamber also proposed the minimum wage adjustments should use a tripartite wage committee mechanism that considers the cost of living, production costs, labour productivity and local economic conditions to ensure fairness and balance for both employers and employees.

The ministry agreed to present this proposal to the national wage committee.

The chamber urged the government to review the foreign worker security deposit regulations by following the 2016 Ministerial Regulation on the issuance, renewal and security deposit requirements for foreign labour importation (Clause 22) to reduce cost burdens for businesses currently hiring migrant workers.

The private sector also called for labour skill enhancement by establishing a government-private-academic partnership to develop skills in line with industrial needs.

He said the chamber urged the government to establish a one-stop service centre for labour to facilitate visa and work permit processing for foreign investors and provide legal and regulatory consultations.

The centre would include agencies such as the Immigration Bureau, the Board of Investment and the Department of Foreign Trade, while also reducing costs and procedures for importing workers in labour-intensive industries.

Another proposal is establishing a joint public-private committee on labour to serve as a central mechanism to integrate labour policy proposals between the public and private sectors and achieve concrete outcomes within four months.

Mr Poj said the minister accepted all six proposals, which would be integrated with the ministry’s labour policy framework.

Ms Treenuch also endorsed the establishment of the joint public-private labour committee and directed the ministry to hold detailed talks with relevant agencies urgently.

The government intends to reduce power prices to ease the cost of living and introduce energy measures for the country’s targeted industries.

Speaking after an economic ministers’ meeting on Monday, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the talks had considered power-related measures under the Energy Ministry’s “Quick Big Win” plan. The aim is to finalise guidelines and implement methods to lower the cost of living for citizens, generate income for local communities, and prepare energy readiness for targeted industries that plan to invest in Thailand.

Such energy measures will continue from the “Khon La Khrueng Plus” co-payment scheme launched last week as part of the government’s ongoing economic stimulus efforts, which have received significant public interest.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas said he had discussed with the Board of Investment the idea of introducing measures to accelerate the establishment of factories in Thailand by foreign companies receiving investment incentives, emphasising that energy supply is a crucial factor in this process.

Government spokesman Siripong Angkasakulkiat said economic ministers would propose measures to help the public save on energy costs to the cabinet meeting scheduled for Oct 28.

The government expects to push forward three energy projects to completion by the end of this year. They are the community solar cell project, the solar cell project for farmers, and the electricity purchase project from citizens’ solar cells.

Mr Siripong said the community solar cell project would help reduce electricity costs for participating citizens to 3.10 baht a unit, down from the current 4.90 baht a unit.

On the economic stimulus project set to be considered by the cabinet on Tuesday, Mr Siripong said it would be a tourism stimulus project for secondary citites. The main principle of this project is that individuals would be allowed to claim tax deductions for their travel expenses, while hotel operators would also be able to deduct renovation expenses for their hotels from their taxable income.

As for the measures to reduce the cost of living for the public in the energy sector, previous governments implemented several initiatives, such as capping the diesel price at no more than 30 baht a litre through the use of excise tax mechanisms and the Fuel Oil Fund, fixing the price of liquefied petroleum gas at 423 baht per 15-kilogramme cylinder, and reducing the electricity tariff rate per unit.

The energy measures of Mr Anutin’s administration that have already been announced include the community solar cell installation project, among others.

Earlier, Mr Ekniti said the core of this government’s economic policy is to revive the economy quickly — to be Quick, Big and Win — or in other words, “short-term recovery with long-term goals”. The aim is to enhance the capabilities of the Thai people, increase their income-generating potential, and ensure balanced economic development across the country. This forms the main framework of Mr Anutin’s economic policy that has been assigned for implementation.

The Finance Ministry will consider opening a new round of registration for the “Khon La Khrueng Plus” co-payment scheme, after the first day of registration saw all 20 million available slots filled.

Responding to growing calls for the government to increase the number of participants in the scheme, Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithaprapas said while the first phase of the programme is unlikely to be expanded due to budget constraints, the government will consider increasing the quota for the next phase, possibly in December this year.

He said approved participants must make their first purchase by Nov 11 to retain their rights, noting those who fail to spend the stimulus before the required period may see their slot reallocated to other registrants.

When asked to explain why some taxpayers will receive 2,000 baht instead of 2,400 baht, Mr Ekniti said the amount is determined based on the recipient’s latest tax filing with the Revenue Department.

The minister said more than 300,000 shops have already registered to join the programme, and additional identity checks for participating merchants have been introduced to protect against abuses and fraud.

Mr Ekniti said the government was pleased with the overwhelming response and that the Pao Tang mobile application operated smoothly despite heavy traffic.

According to figures released by Krungthai Care on its Facebook page, about 5 million people registered within the first 30 minutes of the registration opening at 6am on Monday.

Government spokesman Siripong Angkasakulkiat later reported that more than 13 million people signed up within two hours.

By 4pm, the official website www.?????????????.com announced that all 20 million slots had been filled.

The first day of registration saw long queues outside many Krungthai Bank branches as many people sought help with identity verification, especially those who have recently changed mobile phone numbers or forgotten their passwords since the last co-payment scheme.

A 63-year-old songtaew driver identified only as Sommai said it took her half an hour to register successfully due to high traffic. She said it was a pity that the scheme does not cover fuel expenses, as it would have saved her a lot of money.

When asked if the government is planning to launch the second phase of the scheme soon, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who is also the interior minister, said the government will quickly implement projects which benefit the public.

The scheme will cover orders on food delivery services from Nov 7 to Dec 31.

Delivery platform Grab on Monday announced support for the co-payment scheme, saying it will reduce commission fees for restaurants that register on Nov 3 — the first day of registration for food delivery services — to 7%.

Chantsuda Thananitayaudom, country head of Grab Thailand, said that those who register on the following days will be charged a 9% commission.

Under the co-payment scheme, welfare cardholders will receive an additional 1,700 baht on top of their existing 300-baht monthly allowance, totalling 2,000 baht.

About 9 million people outside the tax system will receive 2,000 baht each, with spending capped at 200 baht per day. Another 11 million taxpayers will be entitled to 2,400 baht each under the same conditions.

Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD is asking the government to extend its EV incentive scheme to help boost the country’s sluggish automotive industry.

The request was made as the National EV Policy Committee is about to be set up under the Anutin Charnvirakul government.

The ongoing scheme, widely known as EV3.5, is aimed at propelling EV industry growth between 2024 and 2027. EV manufacturers are granted tax cuts and subsidies to import vehicles for sale in Thailand in exchange for their investment in EV assembly plants here.

“If EV3.5 comes to an end, we want to see an extension. Authorities may launch EV4.0,” said Xiao Haiping, administrative director of BYD Auto Thailand’s Office of the Group President.

BYD urged the government to introduce new measures to stimulate domestic car sales and expressed hope for continued support of Thailand’s automotive industry and supply chains.

Having the potential to be a key hub for battery electric vehicle (BEV) investment in Southeast Asia, Thailand plays a vital role in the region’s clean mobility future.

This status could be achieved if the new National EV Policy Committee continues to promote BEV production and export through its EV incentive programmes.

“Thailand’s domestic car sales declined to 572,000 units in 2024, placing the country third in Asean behind Indonesia and Malaysia,” said Mr Xiao.

However, Thailand ranks first in car production capacity within Asean, with an average output of 1 million units a year. Indonesia follows in second place, producing roughly 800,000 units a year.

According to Mr Xiao, BYD continues to pursue a price war strategy in Thailand, viewing it as essential for attracting customers and driving sales amid increasing competition in the country’s growing BEV market.

Nava Chantanasurakon, vice-chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries, urged BYD to support local auto parts manufacturers as they transition from producing components for internal combustion engines to EV systems.

“Though sourcing EV parts from Thailand may be more expensive than importing from China, local companies are actively transitioning to new technologies,” he said.

“BYD can help support this shift by increasing local content to over 45%, in line with Thai government policy.”

In Sai Mhok, the number of those diagnosed with depression was below average until 2023, when it experienced an unprecedented spike as the village saw the presence of psychiatrists for the first time.

Previously, physicians assisted instead due to a shortage of medical staff in remote areas. Today, following an exodus of working-age adults, only youths and seniors live in the community.

At the time, Poramin Tangopasvilaisakul, a lecturer at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Srinakharinwirot University, was conducting research for his PhD. He met Tha, who felt jai jep (heart pain), which was diagnosed as depression. Studies show that many in the Northeast experience this symptom. Soon, he learned that their vulnerable background had forced them to work hard and care for their families.

“It is unlikely that they suffered from depression, but doctors said otherwise. The DSM [Diagnostic And Statistical Manual Of Mental Disorders] can’t be used to explain the situation — it must be contextualised. Tha told me that they all experienced jai jep, especially leftover youth [a term for uneducated and unproductive youth]. It was the beginning of my research,” he said.

Speaking at a seminar at Kasetsart University, Poramin explained that depression can be expressed in many ways. Whereas psychiatrists regard it as an illness, social scientists read it as an idiom of distress. Meanwhile, those in Sai Mhok feel jai jep. This inspired Poramin to study how depression can be understood in a specific context and a local hospital permitted him to observe clinical cases.

“Should depression be seen in a different light? Imagine you were poor and abused. Why don’t you run away? In my hypothesis, depression is moral subjectivity that pieces fragments of yourself together,” he said.

Poramin explained how depression took a medical turn due to Emil Kraepelin in the 19th century. Pushed further by an advance in neurology in the 1970s, depression is understood to result from a chemical imbalance in the brain. New studies, however, challenge this theory. The growth in diagnosis of depression is also associated with capitalism and the pharmaceutical industry.

“DSM-5 is a victory for biopsychiatry in being able to explain depression as a universal phenomenon,” he said.

In general, there are two systems for classifying mental disorders. The first is the DSM, a manual by the American Psychiatric Association for diagnosing of mental health disorders. The second is the ICD (International Classification of Diseases) by the World Health Organization, which is a standard tool used by health professionals to catalogue diseases, health conditions and causes of death.

Depression is psychologically understood to involve experiencing loss of interest in activities, feeling tired and having low self-worth and suicidal thoughts due to social, psychological and biological factors.

However, Poramin said depression cannot be entirely understood from a pathological perspective. It can be an expression of bodily suffering, according to social science. His research seeks to move beyond the first paradigm.

“Many take drugs but are not cured of depression. For social scientists, it is how the body communicates pain. Parents often complain that it was harder in their generation and wonder why youth get depressed today. But it is a different hardship. In their days, they reaped the rewards of hard work, but it is no longer true. That is why depression is rising,” he said.

Fieldwork led Poramin to get involved with youths who dealt with depression in multiple ways. Some find a safe zone in hospitals. For example, Nid, an only child, sent him a suicidal message in the middle of the night. Poramin rushed to the hospital in the morning. A psychiatrist joked that she had made several suicide attempts. Nid funnily told him that she had taken pills and driven a motorcycle to hospital. On the one hand, she pitied her father who was abandoned by her mother and turned to alcohol. On the other hand, she hated him for abusing her.

“How was Nid supposed to tackle this moral predicament? I think hospitalisation is an escape for her. It defuses her stress and makes her father more conscientious. It allows her to live with it,” Poramin said.

Some take antidepressant drugs to numb themselves. For instance, a teenager took pills for many years to make herself get used to pain. Like Nid, she looked after a bedridden mother who vented her frustration at her. Depression would persist as long as she took care of her mother. Still, she could not run away.

“Taking drugs helps her cope with this moral dilemma — being a good daughter or a human with dignity. She is trapped in domestic violence due to moral obligation to a dependent mother. As a result, drugs perform more than what their labels show — they numb her pain,” Poramin said.

While suicide is negatively viewed as a short-sighted decision, some with depression choose that path. For example, a teenager helped assist his stepfather at a farm, however, after seven years, the stepfather had his own son manage the durian plantation instead. On the one hand, the teenager invested a lot at the expense of his health, yet his mother wanted to be with her new husband. The boy thought it through and hung himself from a durian tree to take himself out of the equation. However, a worker thwarted the suicide in time.

“This incident made the stepfather feel guilty. It shows that suicide may open up possibilities for repairing a broken relationship,” he said.

Last but far from least, some girls from the Sai Mhok area work in bars. While psychiatrists interpret their behaviour in a pathological sense, they view life decisions as management of resources for survival. For example, one depressed teenager made 2 million baht from sex work to take care of her father. She then left the night life behind and opened a salon.

“A psychiatrist attributes her behaviour to insecurity, but I think she is entrepreneurial. There are many ways to live a good life,” Poramin said.

His research enables a shift in the status of the human from an individual to being in a web of relationships. Pathologically speaking, depression is viewed as a static entity. His study, however, regards depression as moral subjectivity that emerges from suffering. It helps shed light on the complexity of lives.

“Suffering is more than medical terms. Why do you stay in a toxic relationship? It is all about an unreasonable choice,” Poramin said.

“Being a good child is good. Being a human with dignity is good. Making money is good. How can you choose? I think it is better to let people live the way they want. That is why depression is an ethical pedagogy that varies from person to person, whether it be jai jep or other idioms of distress.

“It is a moral project that pieces together fragmented selves.”

Thailand’s online food delivery war is expected to be reignited as Grab has launched new promotional campaigns and offered to cut its gross profit (GP) fee to 7-9% for merchants in response to the “Khon La Khrueng Plus” co-payment scheme.

The company has also spent 200 million baht on its promotional campaigns regarding the scheme.

Meanwhile, Line Man Wongnai has appointed Kanchai Kamnerdploy — a well-known Thai actor and news anchor — as the face of its campaign, and has offered a lower GP fee and spent 200 million baht on its marketing blitz.

ShopeeFood is also offering special single-digit GP fee discounts to merchants.

All these moves aim to persuade food merchants to join their platforms, as the government’s co-payment scheme requires merchants to choose a single platform in order to participate.

Currently, the industry’s maximum GP fee for food delivery is 30%.

Slated to run from Oct 29 to Dec 31, the co-payment scheme offers a 2,400-baht subsidy for individuals registered in the tax system, while those outside the system receive 2,000 baht each, with a daily spending cap of 200 baht.

“With the return of the Khon La Khrueng co-payment scheme, Grab is fully prepared to support the government’s economic stimulus policy and facilitate convenient access for more than 20 million eligible citizens nationwide, helping to stimulate spending through the Grab app,” said Chantsuda Thananitayaudom, country head of Grab Thailand.

Grab’s “GrabFood x Khon La Krueng Plus: 9-Fold Sales Boost” campaign includes a special lower GP rate of 7% for merchants who register with it by Nov 3, while for those registered from Nov 4 a commission rate of 9% will be applied.

It also offers sales-boosting incentives worth up to 10,000 baht and quick cash loans of up to 1 million baht for participating merchants.

Ms Chantsuda added that Grab remains committed to empowering over 800,000 merchants to gain benefits from the co-payment scheme.

“This campaign will not only strengthen restaurant businesses, but also create positive ripple effects across the ecosystem — from small and medium-sized food merchants and driver-partners and related sectors — fostering more inclusive income distribution and contributing to a broader economic recovery under the government’s ‘Quick Big Win’ policy,” said Ms Chantsuda.

A Line Man Wongnai source who requested anonymity said the company would offer a GP fee at a level that could match its rivals.

Yod Chinsupakul, chief executive of Line Man Wongnai, said the Khon La Khrueng Plus programme is a key driver in stimulating spending during the economic recovery period and truly enhances the value of food delivery.

So far, nearly 100,000 restaurants have joined previous versions of the Khon La Khrueng programme via food delivery platforms, with 60-70% choosing Line Man, Mr Yod said.

Additionally, more than 7 million entitlements have been used via Line Man in previous co-payment phases, reflecting its position as the No.1 Khon La Khrueng platform, he added.

Restaurants that join the co-payment scheme and register with Line Man from Nov 3 will receive a full suite of special privileges, including special GP fee reductions for orders under the Khon La Khrueng Plus programme and discount coupons worth 3,000 baht for promotional use, extended free delivery radius of up to 5 kilometres, and discounts on restaurant management system services of up to 8,000 baht.

Shopee Food offers nine promotional tiers, including a special single-digit GP fee for merchants.

Shopee expects merchants who participate with it to be able to increase their sales by 50%, according to the company.

According to Momentum Works, Thailand’s food delivery market was worth US$4.2 billon baht in gross merchandise value in 2024, of which Grab commanded a 46% share, LineMan Wongnai a 40% share, and ShopeeFood a 7% share.

Thailand’s Immigration Bureau has denied reports that a Belarusian model who travelled to Bangkok for work was ‘forced’ to go to Myanmar, where she was reportedly killed by a scam gang who then sold her organs on the black market.

The incident was first reported by a Russian news outlet called Mash. It was subsequently picked up by international media such as the Daily Mail and The Sun and started circulating widely on social media last week.

The stories said that Vera Kravtsova, 26, had travelled from Belarus to Thailand in September for a modelling job interview in Bangkok. She was then forcefully made to go to Myanmar, where she was pressed into slavery in a scam centre.

‘Her duties included being beautiful, serving her ‘masters’, and scamming rich people,’ Mash reported.

When Kravtsova failed to meet her targets, she was tortured and killed and her organs were harvested and then sold, the reports said.

The gang allegedly demanded $500,000 from her family for the return of her remains, but later refused to cooperate and told her parents she had been cremated.

The killing took place somewhere in northern Myanmar, the reports said, without providing further details.

Details about Kravtsova’s time in Bangkok, who she met there and whether she did any modelling work were not known. The reports are equally vague about where and when she was ‘abducted’ in Thailand.

Pol Maj Gen Choengron Rimpadee, a spokesman for the Immigration Bureau, on Tuesday said its investigations determined that Kravtsova was not ‘forced’ to cross into Myanmar from Thailand.

She arrived at Suvarnabhumi airport on Sept 14 and later left the country on Thai Airways flight TG 301 to Yangon at 7.20am on Sept 20, Pol Maj Gen Choengron said.

She passed through Thai immigration via the automatic channel by herself, with CCTV footage showing no signs that she was being coerced or under any pressure from anyone.

‘The reported brutal incidents happened after the model flew to Myanmar,’ Pol Maj Gen Choengron said. ‘Thai police do not know what happened there as it is outside our authority.’

Immigration police have also handed evidence of the young woman’s arrival and departure at the airport to the Consulate of the Belarus in Thailand.

Pol Maj Gen Choengron said the Immigration Bureau has measures to screen foreigners to prevent them from being deceived into scam gangs, as well as to prevent gangsters from entering the kingdom visa-free.

So far this year, about 34,000 individuals have been denied entry, he said.

Senators have called on the government to protect Angkhana Neelapaijit and Human Rights Watch researcher Sunai Phasuk following death threats targeting them over recent comments regarding a well-known activist who has been blasting ghostly sounds and high-pitched noises to intimidate Cambodian civilians in the border area.

Senator Thewarit Maneechai said both Sen Angkhana, a former National Human Rights Commissioner, and Mr Sunai had formally sought police protection, and urged swift action to ensure their safety.

“The government must take this seriously,” Sen Thewarit said, adding that the National Human Rights Commission should examine potential violations.

He also called for balanced media coverage and responsible online moderation. “If any posts cross the line into threats or incitement, platforms must cooperate in investigations,” he said.

The controversy stems from Sen Angkhana’s translation of a Cambodian human rights complaint submitted to the UN following influencer Guntouch “Gun Jompalang” Pongpaiboonwet’s broadcasts of ghostly sounds and aircraft engine noises directed at Cambodian civilians in the border area.

Sen Angkhana claimed the use of sound was backed by the Thai army and constituted psychological torture under the CAT Convention, warning that Thailand’s image may suffer on the global stage.

Sen Thewarit rejected claims that Sen Angkhana had not defended Thai interests, citing her previous condemnation of Cambodian landmines along the border. “Human rights defenders are vital when the state fails to deliver justice,” he added.

Sen Noraset Prachayagorn echoed the call for calm, stressing that freedom of expression and patriotism must coexist. “We must love our country with mindfulness and maturity,” he said.

Sen Noraset said that the Senate’s Political Development Committee had invited Mr Sunai and the NHRC to provide information, noting Thailand’s sensitive international security context.

Sen Sunthorn Prueksapipat clarified that the Senate’s statement was not about defending individuals, but was focused on the broader principle of human rights.

In a Facebook post made on Sunday, Sen Angkhana vowed to continue her work despite the threats.

“The recent incidents will not discourage me or Mr Sunai. On the contrary, they strengthen our resolve,” she wrote.

Dear Doctors: My husband has prediabetes. I read that going for a walk after you eat can help your blood sugar, so I always do that. But my husband says when you sit down again, your blood sugar goes right back up, so what’s the point? Is that true? I’m not giving up on him joining me.

Dear Reader: Prediabetes is a condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not yet high enough to meet the threshold for diabetes. However, prediabetes is considered a warning sign of an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes is when the body can’t use insulin effectively to control blood sugar levels. Sometimes, the body can also no longer produce the required amounts of the hormone. Over time, the chronic high blood sugar of Type 2 diabetes can cause tissue, nerve and organ damage. More serious complications include cardiovascular disease, stroke, kidney issues and blindness. All of this means it’s important to take the prediabetes warning seriously.

Now let’s talk about the post-meal walks that you have added to your routine. Several years ago, a group of researchers in Ireland found that taking a walk after a meal has a beneficial effect on blood sugar. This proved true even when the walk was only five minutes long and taken an hour after eating. Some people in the study had diabetes, and some did not. The beneficial effects on blood sugar occurred in all of the participants, regardless of their diabetes status. Although simply standing after a meal also improved blood sugar numbers, the results were far more modest.

The reason a post-meal walk is good for blood sugar control lies in the muscles. Even the slight contractions, like standing up, help use up glucose available after a meal. When you walk, you are using some of the largest muscles in the body. Those are the gluteus maximus, the hamstrings and the quadriceps. The latissimus dorsi, fan-shaped muscles in the mid-back that help support trunk and arm movement, are also working. When activated, these muscle groups use glucose, which helps prevent the spikes associated with diabetes.

Managing those blood sugar spikes is an important factor in lowering cardiovascular risk. Among people who walked, the post-meal spike was not only less extreme, but the spike was also more gradual. There is also evidence that repeated blood sugar spikes play a role in the development of Type 2 diabetes.

Your husband is correct that blood sugar will rise again after the walk. However, the change will be gradual and less extreme than without the added exercise. Walking smooths out those dangerous spikes and lessens the risk of the health consequences we just discussed. Your husband is fortunate that his blood sugar issues were noticed at the prediabetes stage. With proper diet and exercise, he still has time to prevent an escalation to Type 2. Universal Features Syndicate