The prevalence of obesity is increasing in Turkey

Trakya University (TU) Head of the Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Assoc. Dr. Servet Altay told Anadolu Agency (AA) that obesity has become an important public health problem.

Explaining that unbalanced diet and sedentary life increase the development of obesity, Altay drew attention to the fact that the age of obesity decreases until childhood.

Explaining that obesity is a risk factor for diseases that threaten human life, Altay said:

"We are among the countries with the highest incidence of obesity among European countries. Obesity is the cause of many diseases. Obesity is an important risk factor for the occurrence of diseases that threaten human health, especially heart diseases, hypertension, metabolic disorders, stroke, sleep apnea. In the last 12 years, obesity has been in Turkey. "The incidence has increased by 70 percent. The number of people with obesity has approached 20 million according to the latest data. All of them are candidates for heart attack, stroke, hypertension and heart failure."

Assoc. Dr. Altay stated that individuals can understand whether they have obesity by calculating their body mass index.

Stating that the calculation is made by dividing the body weight by the square of the height, Altay said, "The normal value is between 18.5-24, between 25-30 is considered overweight, and above 30 is considered obese." he said.