Turkey has launched a new national health campaign to fight rising obesity rates by weighing citizens in public places and encouraging those who are overweight to slim down, according to the Daily Mail.
Starting on May 10, the government aims to check the Body Mass Index (BMI) of 10 million people—around one in every eight citizens—by July 10. Health workers with weighing scales and tape measures are conducting spontaneous BMI checks in busy public spots like town squares, malls, bus stations, and even outside football stadiums in all 81 provinces.
At a recent nursing conference, Turkey’s Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu stressed the seriousness of the issue. “Half of our population is overweight,” he said. “Being overweight means being sick, or getting sick in the future. Many children may look healthy now, but as they grow older, that extra weight will lead to joint and heart problems.”
Ironically, Minister Memişoğlu was weighed by health staff in Ankara and told he was above the normal weight range. “Which dietitian should I go to?” he joked. Later, he posted, “Turns out I’m a little over. It’s up to me now—I’ll be walking every day.”
Campaign Slogan: ‘Know Your Weight, Live Healthy’
The campaign operates under the slogan “Know your weight, live healthy.” Those found to have a BMI over 25 are being referred to state-run Family Health and Healthy Life Centres. There, they can receive free diet advice and follow-up support.
However, the public nature of the checks has sparked controversy. Psychiatrist and academic Gökben Hızlı Sayar shared her own experience on social media, writing, “I got caught in a fat checkpoint in Üsküdar Square. They scolded me a little and let me go. I warned three other chubby people heading that way. Solidarity, my fellow fat comrades!”
In response to such comments, Memişoğlu admitted the jokes were amusing but emphasized that the health risks were real. “Dear young people, I read what you write online. You’re funny, but obesity is a serious issue.”
Images from across the country show people stepping on scales in open areas while health workers measure their height and calculate their BMI.
Criticism and Concerns Over the Campaign
While some citizens support the effort, others argue that it is invasive and shaming. Critics also say the government should focus more on economic challenges like rising food prices and low wages, which make it hard for people to eat healthy.
According to 2023 data from the World Health Organization, about 30% of people in Turkey are obese.
Experts have also raised concerns about the use of BMI as a health tool. Dr. Arya Sharma, an obesity researcher at the University of Alberta, told Live Science that BMI can be useful for large-scale health studies but is less accurate for individuals. “Many professional athletes are classified as overweight or obese by BMI, even though they have high muscle mass, not fat,” he explained.
A recent report from the Lancet Commission also called for changes, saying that obesity should not be diagnosed by BMI alone. Instead, doctors should also consider health issues directly caused by excess weight, such as type 2 diabetes.
Under current BMI guidelines, a score below 18.5 is underweight, 25–29.9 is overweight, and above 30 is considered obese.
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