Experts associate the picture with poverty, pesticides, low supply of healthy foods and the lack of public policies. Obesity has increased in recent decades and could affect almost one in 3 people by 2030.
There are currently over a thousand million obese people around the world: the World Health Organization (WHO) describes it as a obesity epidemic.
According to the WHO 2022 report on the subject, on the European continent, the Türkiye It leads in overweight and obesity, which reach 66.8% of the population.
In addition, the country occupies the first position among countries with the fastest increase in obesity, according to a survey prepared by the organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). By 2030, 27 million Turks are expected to be obese, which should affect almost One in three people.
Health specialists and social issues attribute this dramatic scenario to inadequate diet, social inequality, the offer of unhealthy foods and the lack of public policies. According to studies, one in five children in Türkiye suffers from malnutrition, and in 10% to 15% of cases are associated with overweight and obesity.
“The problem is poverty”
Sociologist Hacer Foggo considers that the growing number of overweight children is mainly due to Extreme poverty. Turkey has been suffering for years from high inflation on food prices, which negatively impacts the purchasing power of citizens.
“Malnutrition leads to stunted growth, on the one hand, and, on the other, obesity. We are at the forefront of this problem in Europe because our diet is not varied,” he says, mentioning a 2022 report from the Turkish Institute of Statistics (Tüik), according to which 62.4% of children feed mainly on bread and pasta – Alarming data that, he says, have not been taken seriously so far.
Food scientist Bülent şík sees a direct connection between increased childhood obesity and widespread consumption of ultra -processed with low nutritional value and high sugar content.
“Increased consumption of cheap and easily available snacks and sugary soft drinks is directly linked to increased obesity,” said şík. In your opinion, while the production of these products is not restricted, many prevention measures will remain merely symbolic.
The threat of pesticides and additives
ŞIk also warns of another source of danger: the use of chemicals harmful to health in food production, such as pesticides and certain additives that have been associated with hormonal disorders and weight gain.
“Some of these toxic substances have a negative impact on the hormonal system, which represents a serious threat, especially for growing children.”
The scientist mentions a study by Greenpeace Türkiye that found that one third of food samples tested in the country contained pesticides that can impair the hormonal system and neurological development or even be Cancer. Nevertheless, government control mechanisms are focused mainly on calorie information.
As part of a new program to combat obesity, the Turkish Ministry of Health has announced height measurements, weight and body mass index of the population in moved urban centers, public spaces and event locations. The goal is to identify overweight people and refer them to health centers or general clinic doctors for follow-up with the support of nutritionists.
With this work, the ministry intends to reach ten million citizens in two months to sensitize them for the dangers of obesity and promote a healthy lifestyle.
Structural deficiencies in the food system
Experts criticize the government for not providing sufficient legal regulation for healthier diets and not restricting harmful food advertising. This scenario contributes to the vulnerability of children and the poorest layers of the population. “It’s the responsibility of political decision makers to find solutions,” says şík.
Healthy and fresh foods are also usually more expensive and hardly accessible for low -income families. This creates a social imbalance that can lead to obesity, atrophied growth and iron deficiency in children.
Therefore, şík and Foggo advocate the creation of a free school feeding program in the country.
“Parliamentary minutes show that the Ministry of Health recognized the problem and sees school feeding as a solution, but no measure has been taken,” says Foggo.
In addition, there is a shortage of qualified professionals in this area. Unionists point out that the number of nutritionists for population advice is insufficient, having reduced by almost 20% in public hospitals.
