Rural women more overweight: survey
A new survey reveals that women living in rural areas are more overweight than those living in cities and Turkish women’s weight gain increases after the age of 40.
A cuisine based around fat-heavy dishes has been blamed as the main culprit for the disparity, with unhealthy eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle having added to the problem in recent years. A survey by Hacettepe University focusing on obesity among women shows the rate of "fat" women rose to 30%, up from 23% over the past fifteen years. 37% of women were found to constitute "average" size based on body mass indices, while 59% of women were found to be either overweight or outright obese.
Age takes its toll on women when it comes to weight gain. Nearly 85% of women between ages of 40 and 49 are overweight, the survey showed. The figures are particularly dire for women living in rural areas, however. Some 63% of women in rural areas were either overweight or obese, a rate 58% higher than those living in cities. The survey indicates that the rate of overweight and obese women correlates with education and welfare levels. More educated and well-to-do women were shown to be of average size or thinner, according to the survey.
Some 63% of women living in households in the lowest income bracket were overweight, while obesity rates for women from households with the highest income levels coming to 52%. Similarly, 81% of women who never attended or completed high school were overweight – a rate that stands at 44% for women who graduated from high school or higher learning institutions.
Almost three in every four people in Turkey are inactive and overweight, a recent World Health Organization (WHO) report sent to the Turkish Parliament revealed. The report revealed that Turkish people on average exercised for less than 150 minutes a week, a threshold set by the WHO, while obesity rates have been rising. It is estimated that there are 7.5 million obese people in Turkey, while 2.4 million people suffer from morbid obesity.
Since 2013, Turkey has implemented a number of promotional health campaigns, such as "Move for Health" and "Reducing Portion Sizes," involving mass public jogs and exercises and has taken measures to reduce the consumption of obesity-inducing foods, banning unhealthy snacks from being sold in schools. Further to these steps, Turkey has launched the "Promoting Physical Activity Project" with thousands of bicycles distributed to schools, universities, municipalities and nongovernmental organizations for children to use.
A cuisine based around fat-heavy dishes has been blamed as the main culprit for the disparity, with unhealthy eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle having added to the problem in recent years. A survey by Hacettepe University focusing on obesity among women shows the rate of "fat" women rose to 30%, up from 23% over the past fifteen years. 37% of women were found to constitute "average" size based on body mass indices, while 59% of women were found to be either overweight or outright obese.
Age takes its toll on women when it comes to weight gain. Nearly 85% of women between ages of 40 and 49 are overweight, the survey showed. The figures are particularly dire for women living in rural areas, however. Some 63% of women in rural areas were either overweight or obese, a rate 58% higher than those living in cities. The survey indicates that the rate of overweight and obese women correlates with education and welfare levels. More educated and well-to-do women were shown to be of average size or thinner, according to the survey.
Some 63% of women living in households in the lowest income bracket were overweight, while obesity rates for women from households with the highest income levels coming to 52%. Similarly, 81% of women who never attended or completed high school were overweight – a rate that stands at 44% for women who graduated from high school or higher learning institutions.
Almost three in every four people in Turkey are inactive and overweight, a recent World Health Organization (WHO) report sent to the Turkish Parliament revealed. The report revealed that Turkish people on average exercised for less than 150 minutes a week, a threshold set by the WHO, while obesity rates have been rising. It is estimated that there are 7.5 million obese people in Turkey, while 2.4 million people suffer from morbid obesity.
Since 2013, Turkey has implemented a number of promotional health campaigns, such as "Move for Health" and "Reducing Portion Sizes," involving mass public jogs and exercises and has taken measures to reduce the consumption of obesity-inducing foods, banning unhealthy snacks from being sold in schools. Further to these steps, Turkey has launched the "Promoting Physical Activity Project" with thousands of bicycles distributed to schools, universities, municipalities and nongovernmental organizations for children to use.
Last Update: December 20, 2019 01:53