Cosmopolitan food beliefs and changing eating habits in Bangkok

This dissertation aims to contribute to the understanding of changes in contemporary food beliefs and eating habits among Thais who live in Bangkok. Factors such as Thai cultural values, age, and gender are highlighted to show food belief and/or eating habit variation. Changes caused by Western and global food trends that affect Thai food beliefs and dietary patterns are addressed throughout the dissertation. The data were gathered during fieldwork in 2001--2002. A combination of ethnographic methods such as participant observation, survey questionnaires, focus groups, in-depth interviews, and secondary data were employed in order to accomplish the research objectives.;The findings show interactions between internal (i.e. ethnic food revival trend) and external food trends (i.e. delocalization and globalization trend) caused changes in Thai dietary patterns and Thais' relationships with food. While the delocalization process can be seen in the adoption of new types of foods and dining out experiences, the ethnic food revival trend can be identified as the recreation of Thai cultural food practices. However, when looking closer, the food beliefs and eating habits of the Thai population also vary according to age and gender group. The findings show different age groups form their own perceptions of "good," "bad," "junk," and "fast" foods. Each age group also has its own food focus, food preferences, eating patterns, and is being impacted differently by globalization. Each gender is also affected differently by globalization. Through mass media, Thai women and men are assimilating new ideal body images, but in different ways. The evidence shows that while Thai men desire to have Western-built bodies, Thai women are pressured to be thin and beautiful at a more intense level than men. Similar to Western women, Thai women also face pressure from within their society to achieve the desired body image, which oftentimes causes them to have unhealthy eating habits. In conclusion, this study can help create age-and-gender specific health suggestions and programs suitable for the Thai population.