Over half million measured in health campaign found outside healthy weight range

ANKARA

In a significant health initiative, over one million individuals across Türkiye participated in the Health Ministry's campaign to publicly measure body mass index (BMI) to raise awareness about obesity, with more than half of the participants falling outside the "normal" range, according to the data obtained.

The initiative, launched nationwide by the ministry aims to promote healthier lifestyles. Medical teams across the country’s 81 provinces conducted BMI screenings in public squares, community areas and at various events. BMI is a widely used indicator that calculates body fat based on an individual’s height and weight.

As part of the campaign, 1,143,189 participants received BMI assessments, and 673,025 individuals whose results fell outside the normal range were referred to relevant health care institutions, including Healthy Life Centers, Family Health Centers, Community Health Centers and district health directorates, depending on their preferences.

In the second week of the campaign, conducted between May 17 and 23, a total of 591,209 individuals — 281,940 men and 309,269 women — had their height and weight measured. Analysis of the data shows that 4.2 percent of participants were classified as underweight, 31.8 percent as having a normal weight, 35.8 percent as overweight and 28.2 percent as obese.

Further breakdown of the data revealed notable gender differences. Overweight rates were higher among men (41.9 percent) compared to women (30.3 percent), while obesity rates were more pronounced among women (32.1 percent) than men (23.8 percent).

Experts warn that overweight and obesity are increasingly prevalent public health issues both globally and in Türkiye. Addressing the challenge requires raising public awareness, encouraging healthy eating habits and increasing physical activity levels.

The Health Ministry has set a target to measure the height and weight of 10 million individuals across all 81 provinces by July 10, marking a significant step toward identifying and combating unhealthy weight trends within the population.