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.
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.