To date, over one billion people in the world suffer from obesity, and the World Health Organization (WHO) even speaks of an "adipositas epidemic". According to its 2022 report on obesity in Europe, Turkey is leading in terms of overweight and obesity: with 66.8%, the country tops the European ranking and is first among the countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in which obesity cases are increasing the fastest. It is expected that by 2030, 27 million people in Turkey will suffer from obesity, i.e. almost every third person in Bulgaria's southern neighbor will be affected.
Experts see the reasons for this dramatic development in malnutrition and unhealthy nutrition, in social inequality and in the lack of socio-political strategies. According to studies, one in five children in Turkey suffers from malnutrition, and 10 to 15 percent of these cases are due to overweight and obesity. This may seem paradoxical at first glance, but one of the reasons for this is that the fat tissue in overweight people can impair the intake and absorption of nutrients.
"The problem is called poverty"
For years, Turkey has suffered from high food inflation, which in turn has a negative impact on people's purchasing power. Sociologist Hatcher Fogo emphasizes that the growing number of overweight children is primarily due to extreme poverty.
"Poor nutrition leads to stunted growth on the one hand and obesity on the other. In Europe, we are at the forefront of this problem because nutrition is very one-sided," she says. Fogo refers to a 2022 report by the Turkish statistical authority TÜIK, according to which 62.4% of children eat mainly bread and pasta. These alarming figures are still not being taken seriously enough.
Bulent Şik, a food expert, sees a direct link between the rise in childhood obesity and the widespread consumption of highly processed foods with little nutritional value and high sugar content.
"The rise in the consumption of cheap snacks and sweetened soft drinks is directly related to obesity", he says. If the production of these products is not limited, many measures will remain purely symbolic, Şik adds.
The expert also warns of another danger: the use of toxic chemicals in food production - such as pesticides and some additives, which are associated with hormonal disruptions and weight gain. "Some of these toxic substances have a negative effect on the hormonal system, which poses a serious threat, especially for children as they grow up," he explains.
Şik refers to a study by "Greenpeace" - Turkey, which found that a third of the food it analyzed contained pesticides that could disrupt the endocrine system, impair neurological development or even be carcinogenic. However, state food control mechanisms focus mainly on calorie labelling.
Health Ministry sounds the alarm
As part of a new programme to combat obesity, the Turkish Health Ministry announced that it would measure the height, weight and body mass index (BMI) of the population in urban centres, public places and event venues. The aim is to identify people who are overweight and refer them to health centres or general practitioners' offices, where they will receive care and support from dieticians. Within two months, the ministry hopes to reach ten million citizens to raise awareness about the dangers of obesity and promote healthy lifestyles.
Structural deficiencies in the food system
Experts have criticized the state for not setting sufficient legal requirements for healthy eating and not limiting the advertising of unhealthy foods. The lack of measures contributes to the fact that children and poor groups of the population are particularly at risk. "It is the responsibility of politicians to create solutions", says Schick in this regard.
Healthy and fresh food is also often more expensive and difficult to access for low-income families. This creates a social imbalance that can lead to obesity, stunted growth and iron deficiency in children.
In this context, food expert Bülent Şik and sociologist Haçer Fogo emphasize the need for a free school meal program. Despite repeated requests, such a program has not yet been implemented, Fogo recalls: "The minutes of parliamentary sessions show that the Ministry of Health has recognized the problem and sees the solution in school meals - but not a single step has been taken", she says.
There is also a shortage of specialists in this field in Turkey: the Birlik Sağlık Sen trade union believes that the number of dietitians who can advise citizens on nutrition is insufficient. Their number in public hospitals has decreased by almost 20% in the past five years.
Authors: Burak Yunveren | Pelin Junker