Türkiye launches nationwide obesity prevention campaign

ANKARA

Türkiye’s Health Ministry has launched a nationwide health screening campaign focused on measuring height, weight and body mass index (BMI) in a bid to combat the country’s escalating obesity problem.

Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu announced that medical teams across the country’s 81 provinces would conduct BMI screenings in public squares, community areas and at various events.

After the scanning process, individuals found to be overweight will be directed to the country’s official facilities aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles and family health centers, where they will receive nutritional counseling and regular follow-up services from dietitians.

Their objective is to raise awareness about the harms of excess weight and promote a culture of healthy living, he stressed.

The initiative aims to reach 10 million people between May 10 and July 10.

BMI is a widely used indicator that calculates body fat based on an individual’s height and weight. Obesity is defined as having a BMI of 30 or higher and is considered a chronic, progressive disease influenced by numerous factors including genetics, environment, socioeconomic conditions and psychological health.

This campaign comes as Türkiye grapples with alarming obesity statistics and childhood eating disorders.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Türkiye is among the countries with the fastest-growing obesity rates. While global obesity is projected to affect 70 percent of the population by 2060, the projection for Türkiye is even higher at 94 percent.

The country is now rivaling the United States in obesity prevalence as about 30 percent of the population is obese, according to Professor Mehmet Cindoruk, head of the Turkish Gastroenterology Association.

According to Professor Ömer Faruk Başer from the Turkish Paediatric Association, one in five children in Türkiye suffers from a form of nutritional disorder.

Consuming food with poor nutritional value, considered malnutrition, negatively impacts development.

Of the children with eating disorders, around 15 percent fall into the obesity category.