A health and beauty magazine containing only Cambodian medical experts and specifically tailored to Cambodian health issues debuted on Phnom Penh newsstands earlier this month.
Ten thousand copies have been published of “Health Magazine,” which is written by four reporters and edited and published by Dr Ly Cheng Huy, country coordinator for the French government’s Esther project, which deals with health issues.
“I am not happy with some Khmer magazines translating quotations of health experts in other countries for their articles,” Ly Cheng Huy said last week.
“[Cambodian] people eat fermented fish paste, but citizens in France and other countries eat butter and strawberries, so the articles printed in [other Cambodian] magazines do not respond to the real situation of our people’s health,” he said.
Articles in the first edition of the new magazine concern the negative impact of abortion on women’s health, why people should clean their teeth, and the affect of dye on the health of your hair.
Other stories feature how pregnant women should take care of themselves, as well as mental health problems and liver poisoning.
The magazine’s glossy front page features a profile of TV3 presenter Kong Socheat, discussing her own health and beauty tips.
The magazine does not intend to compete with other health magazines, but to provide information for the general public and Cambodian medics, Ly Cheng Huy said.
“I’ve witnessed that information, articles and knowledge concerning health are still limited. I want our society to pay much at-tention to health,” he said, adding that the audience for the magazine is young people aged 20 or more.
Leng Sokha, a 47-year-old bookstore owner in Phnom Penh’s Prampi Makara district, said the first edition was impressive.
“I really enjoyed the article about abortion. I think Cambodian people are alarmed by the increase in abortions,” she said.
In an article about Valentine’s Day, the magazine advised young girls to be vigilant and chaste with their boyfriends during the occasion.
But if women cannot avoid having sex with their partners, they should be sure to have safe sex, the magazine cautioned.
Duong Visoth, a 24-year-old student at Build Bright University, said quality health magazines have a lot to offer Cambodians.
“The majority of magazines always print articles encouraging the young generation to have sex, but don’t provide information about how to have safe sex or how to keep good health,” he said.
