Latest news with #KemalMemişoğlu
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Turkey weighing citizens in public to fight obesity, critics slam the move as fat shaming
Turkey is tipping the scales in its war on obesity. The country has launched a nationwide campaign to measure citizens' weight in public spaces to combat its rising obesity rates — a move critics argue amounts to public fat shaming and government overreach. The initiative, called "Learn Your Ideal Weight, Live Healthy" campaign, will see around 10 million people assessed between May 10 and July 10. If they are deemed overweight, they will be directed to health centers to receive nutritional counseling and monitoring by dietitians, according to Turkish Minute. The controversial move aims to raise awareness about chronic weight dangers and to promote healthier lifestyles. Obesity Most Prevalent In These 3 Southern Cities Turkish Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu introduced the initiative earlier this month, stating that health personnel would take measurements in public areas across all 81 provinces, Turkish media reported. Read On The Fox News App Various images posted to social media by Turkey's health ministry show health officials taking people's height measurements before guiding them onto weighing scales at so-called check points in public spaces. Individuals have their body weight and height measured to calculate their body mass index (BMI), a simple calculation used to assess whether a person has a healthy body weight for their height. If someone has a BMI of 25 or higher, they will be referred to the health centers. The initiative has drawn backlash, with critics slamming it as invasive, stigmatizing and essentially amounting to fat shaming in public. Other detractors argue that the government is not addressing broader contributing factors such as soaring food prices, stagnant wages and limited access to affordable nutrition. Fresh Food Consumption Could Help Solve Diet-related Illness: Experts Gökben Hızlı Sayar, a Turkish psychiatrist and academic, likened the stations to fat check points and said she was forced to get measured. "I got caught in a fat car showdown in Üsküdar Square, she wrote on X last week. "Luckily, they reprimanded me a little and let me go. When I saw the radar, I warned 3 fat people who were going that way to flash their headlights at each other. Today is the day of unity, my fat brothers." The health minister, however, said the goal is to inform the public and make them healthier. In an effort to lead by example, Memişoğlu himself was measured and revealed that he is over the limit, although it wasn't clear by how much. "Which dietitian should I go to?" he humorously said to reporters before later adding, "turns out I'm a little over. It's up to me now, I'll be walking every day," Turkish Minute reported. Memişoğlu also posted video of himself walking, writing, "it's time to get down to business, we'll walk every day." Turkey has a population of around 85 million people and around 32.1% are considered obese, according to the World Health Organization. Anyone over a BMI of 30 is considered obese. That rate is still lower than in the United States, where the most recent studies by the CDC show obesity among adults at 40.3%. Experts link the rate in Turkey to rising fast-food consumption, economic barriers to healthy food and urbanization reducing physical activity levels, according to Turkey article source: Turkey weighing citizens in public to fight obesity, critics slam the move as fat shaming
Fox News
28-05-2025
- Business
- Fox News
Turkey weighing citizens in public to fight obesity, critics slam the move as fat shaming
Turkey is tipping the scales in its war on obesity. The country has launched a nationwide campaign to measure citizens' weight in public spaces to combat its rising obesity rates — a move critics argue amounts to public fat shaming and government overreach. The initiative, called "Learn Your Ideal Weight, Live Healthy" campaign, will see around 10 million people assessed between May 10 and July 10. If they are deemed overweight, they will be directed to health centers to receive nutritional counseling and monitoring by dietitians, according to Turkish Minute. The controversial move aims to raise awareness about chronic weight dangers and to promote healthier lifestyles. Turkish Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu introduced the initiative earlier this month, stating that health personnel would take measurements in public areas across all 81 provinces, Turkish media reported. Various images posted to social media by Turkey's health ministry show health officials taking people's height measurements before guiding them onto weighing scales at so-called check points in public spaces. Individuals have their body weight and height measured to calculate their body mass index (BMI), a simple calculation used to assess whether a person has a healthy body weight for their height. If someone has a BMI of 25 or higher, they will be referred to the health centers. The initiative has drawn backlash, with critics slamming it as invasive, stigmatizing and essentially amounting to fat shaming in public. Other detractors argue that the government is not addressing broader contributing factors such as soaring food prices, stagnant wages and limited access to affordable nutrition. Gökben Hızlı Sayar, a Turkish psychiatrist and academic, likened the stations to fat check points and said she was forced to get measured. "I got caught in a fat car showdown in Üsküdar Square, she wrote on X last week. "Luckily, they reprimanded me a little and let me go. When I saw the radar, I warned 3 fat people who were going that way to flash their headlights at each other. Today is the day of unity, my fat brothers." The health minister, however, said the goal is to inform the public and make them healthier. In an effort to lead by example, Memişoğlu himself was measured and revealed that he is over the limit, although it wasn't clear by how much. "Which dietitian should I go to?" he humorously said to reporters before later adding, "turns out I'm a little over. It's up to me now, I'll be walking every day," Turkish Minute reported. Memişoğlu also posted video of himself walking, writing, "it's time to get down to business, we'll walk every day." Turkey has a population of around 85 million people and around 32.1% are considered obese, according to the World Health Organization. Anyone over a BMI of 30 is considered obese. That rate is still lower than in the United States, where the most recent studies by the CDC show obesity among adults at 40.3%. Experts link the rate in Turkey to rising fast-food consumption, economic barriers to healthy food and urbanization reducing physical activity levels, according to Turkey Today.
IOL News
23-05-2025
- Health
- IOL News
Turkey's war on obesity or dignity? Public weigh-ins spark outrage and shame
Turkey has launched a controversial health initiative that sees citizens weighed and measured in public spaces as part of a sweeping campaign to tackle obesity. The programme, which aims to assess the body mass index (BMI) of 10 million people by July 10, has sparked a fierce national debate over privacy, government overreach, and the economic realities that underpin public health. While authorities insist the campaign is necessary to confront an obesity crisis, many Turks have voiced outrage over being stopped and assessed in town squares, parks, shopping centres—and even outside buses and football stadiums. Health officials have been stationed across all 81 provinces, equipped with scales and tape measures, conducting impromptu BMI checks on passersby's. The government is promoting the campaign under the slogan 'Know your weight, live healthy,' and views it as a crucial step in what it describes as a 'national fight' against obesity. Minister of Health Kemal Memişoğlu, speaking at a recent nursing conference, emphasised the seriousness of the issue: '50 percent of our society is overweight,' he said. 'Being overweight means being sick, it means we will get sick in the future. Our young children are overweight, their body resistance is high and that's why they don't get sick, but when they start getting older, that weight will turn into joint and heart diseases.' In a symbolic move, Memişoğlu himself was weighed in Ankara last week and found to be 'above normal weight,' as classified by health officials. Photos circulating on social media show individuals being directed onto scales and having their height recorded before calculating their BMI. The campaign, which launched on May 10, aims to reach one in eight Turkish citizens. Those whose BMI exceeds 25 are referred to state-funded Family Health Centres and Healthy Life Centres, where they are eligible for free nutritional advice and monitoring.
Hindustan Times
23-05-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Turkey is publicly weighing citizens, urging those overweight to slim down under new health crackdown
In a bid to combat rising obesity rates, Turkey has launched a nationwide health initiative that involves weighing citizens in public spaces and urging those found overweight to slim down, reported the Daily Mail. The campaign, which began on May 10, aims to evaluate the body mass index (BMI) of 10 million people, roughly one in eight citizens, by July 10. Health workers equipped with weighing scales and tape measures have been stationed across all 81 provinces, carrying out spontaneous BMI checks in town squares, malls, bus stations, and even outside football stadiums. At a recent nursing conference, Turkey's Minister of Health, Kemal Memişoğlu, highlighted the urgency of the issue, according to the outlet. 'Fifty percent of our society is overweight,' he stated. 'Being overweight means being sick; it means we will get sick in the future. Our young children are overweight; their body resistance is high and that's why they don't get sick, but when they start getting older, that weight will turn into joint and heart diseases.' Ironically, Memişoğlu himself was measured by health officials in Ankara and told he was 'above normal weight.' 'Which dietitian should I go to?' he reportedly asked. In a later post, he added, 'Turns out I'm a little over. It's up to me now, I'll be walking every day.' The campaign, run under the slogan 'know your weight, live healthy,' channels individuals with a BMI over 25 to state-run Family Health and Healthy Life Centres for free dietary counseling and follow-ups. However, not everyone is on board with the public nature of the initiative. Psychiatrist and academic Gökben Hızlı Sayar shared an encounter online, saying, 'I got caught in a fat checkpoint in Üsküdar Square. Luckily, they scolded me a little and let me go. Like drivers warning of speed traps, I tipped off three other chubby people heading that way. Solidarity, my fellow fat comrades!' Memişoğlu acknowledged the jokes but stressed the gravity of the situation: 'Dear young people, I read what you write on social media. You are very entertaining, but the issue of being overweight is serious.' Images from across the country show citizens stepping onto weighing scales in open areas as health staff measure height and calculate BMI. While some welcome the effort, others have criticised it as invasive and insensitive. Many Turks argue that the government is ignoring economic hardships—like rising food prices and stagnant wages—that limit access to healthy diets. Also read: 'General population is cooked': Eerily realistic videos of AI reporters created using Google Veo 3 raise red flags According to 2023 World Health Organisation data, about 30% of the Turkish population is obese. Dr. Arya Sharma, an obesity researcher at the University of Alberta, told Live Science that BMI is helpful for assessing population trends but has limitations for individuals. 'Many professional athletes qualify as overweight or obese based solely on their BMI. But they have much more muscle mass, which weighs proportionally more than fat.' A recent report from the Lancet Commission echoed these concerns, stating that obesity diagnoses should be based not just on BMI but also on health conditions directly caused by excess body weight, like type 2 diabetes. Under the BMI system, a score under 18.5 is considered underweight, 25–29.9 is overweight, and over 30 qualifies as obese. Also read: Las Vegas mom outraged after school gives daughter, classmates sex ed handout in 5th grade
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Overweight people are publicly weighed and ordered to slim down under new rules in Turkey - with inspectors patrolling public spaces
Turkey has rolled out a nationwide scheme to stop and weigh people in public, with inspectors then telling them to slim down if they are found to be overweight. Health workers have been deployed across each of the country's 81 regions with weighing scales and tape measures as the drive to assess 10 million people by July 10 is underway. Passersby are stopped by medical examiners for spot body mass index (BMI) checks while walking through town squares, shopping centres and parks, and even as they prepare to board buses or head to football matches, according to reports. Speaking at a nursing conference last week, Turkey's Minister of Health Kemal Memişoğlu declared that '50 percent of our society is overweight.' He pointed to the various health risks associated with being overweight, telling the meeting: 'Being overweight means being sick, it means we will get sick in the future. 'Our young children are overweight, their body resistance is high and that's why they don't get sick, but when they start getting older, that weight will turn into joint and heart diseases.' But Memişoğlu was not spared the scales in Ankara last week - and was told by health officials that he was among the large proportion of the population counted as 'above normal weight'. 'Which dietitian should I go to?' he reportedly said afterwards, before adding in a follow-up post on Thursday: 'Turns out I'm a little over. It's up to me now, I'll be walking every day.' Pictures from around Turkey have shown people being guided onto weighing scales and having their height measured before their weight is calculated Another person who was checked by the inspectors, psychiatrist and academic Gökben Hızlı Sayar, wrote on X: 'I got caught in a fat checkpoint in Üsküdar Square. Luckily, they scolded me a little and let me go. 'Like drivers warning of speed traps, I tipped off three other chubby people heading that way. Solidarity, my fellow fat comrades!' Memişoğlu responded to people joking about the scheme on social media: 'Dear young people, I read what you write on social media. You are very entertaining, but the issue of being overweight is serious.' Pictures from around Turkey have shown people being guided onto weighing scales and having their height measured before their weight is calculated. The anti-obesity campaign, which is described by officials as a 'national fight' and is running under the tag line 'know your weight, live healthy,' began on May 10 and plans to survey one in eight Turks. People with a BMI over 25 are referred to state-run Family Health centres and Healthy Life centres, where they can receive free nutritional counseling and follow-up services. Turks have hit out at the measures, which many have argued point to the government being out of touch with the daily realities of soaring food prices and wage stagnation, and the impact this can have on healthy eating. The Erdogan government has also been criticised for the very public nature of the scheme, with Turks questioning why people need to be weighed in public. Meanwhile an article in Turkish daily newspaper Evrensel pointed out that the scheme was rolled out in the same week that a new generation weight loss injection was launched in Turkey - something it labelled 'a 'strange' coincidence'. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated in 2023 that some 30 per cent of Turkish people are obese. Health experts warned earlier this year that a BMI score is not 'nuanced' enough to measure obesity, with more assessments needed before someone is told they are obese. The new Lancet Commission of more than 50 experts from around the world argued that doctors should only diagnose patients as clinically obese if they have illnesses directly caused by obesity alone, such as type 2 diabetes. BMI first gained popularity in the 1970s as a way of judging body fat. A healthy BMI is typically measured between 18.5 and 25. Anything under 18.5 is considered underweight. BMIs between 25 and 29.9 fall into overweight territory, and above 30 is considered obese. It is useful for tracking population trends in body weight, but has well-known limitations when applied to individuals, Dr Arya Sharma, an obesity researcher at the University of Alberta in Canada, told Live Science. For example, many professional athletes qualify as overweight or obese based on solely their BMI. But they have much more muscle mass, which weighs proportionally more than fat.
