Turkey is tipping the scales in its war on obesity.
In an effort to tackle its increasing obesity rates, the country has initiated a nationwide campaign to track citizens’ weight in public areas—a strategy some critics say constitutes public fat shaming and an overreach of government power.
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.
Turkey has launched a nationwide campaign to measure citizens’ weight in public to combat its rising obesity rates — a move critics argue amounts to public fat shaming and government overreach. (Turkish health ministry via Instagram/@amasyasm)
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.
A man gets his height measured in public. Height and weight are used to determine BMI. (Turkish health ministry via Instagram/@amasyasm)
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.
