The excessive use of chilli also puts me off these days because I find that it destroys the actual flavor of food. Half the time you cannot even taste the difference between pork and chicken. I also got sick of seeing rice on my plate at every meal. Ever since I was a child, there have been times when it feels as though my body is shaking and in desperate need of food despite not feeling hungry. Only now have I discovered that it was rice that was causing this. Not sure how or why, but since I've stopped eating rice, I no longer get those shaky spells. I still eat rice occasionally but usually only once every week or so, and when I do, it is mostly brown rice cooked Farang style - boiled and then steamed.
Another reason for my shift to western food is the fact that I have young kids to feed and I got sick of seeing them being fed complete rubbish 90% of the time. Now they eat food with loads of veggies, and they get to enjoy a lot of variety rather than the usual egg and rice; fried rice; omelet and rice, or BBQ chicken and rice.
Lastly, if you really believe that Thais living in the cities eat a healthy diet, I suggest that you spend more time people watching. Just pay some attention to what they eat most of the time and you'll notice that most of their meals are cheap "side of the road" meals which are typically fried; contain loads of fat and such, and of course piles of processed junk. Admittedly, they do eat a more healthy diet out in the sticks, but in the cities it is vastly different.
Having said all that, I must be honest and say my own food preferences have never and will never be influenced by health concerns.

