Türkiye's Health Ministry has launched a monthlong nationwide campaign aimed at encouraging citizens to adopt healthier lifestyles through regular physical activity, with officials set to measure participants' "movement age" as part of the initiative.
Speaking at the launch of the "Learn Your Movement Age, Live Healthy" campaign in Ankara on Wednesday, Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu said the initiative seeks to raise awareness about the importance of physical activity and help citizens better understand their physical fitness levels.
The campaign follows last year's “Learn Your Ideal Weight, Live Healthy” program, under which nearly 10 million people had their height and weight measured. According to Memişoğlu, participants who required support were referred to healthy life centers and dietitians, contributing to a collective weight loss of 513 tons.
"Our priority is for people to be healthy and remain healthy," Memişoğlu said.
He noted that Türkiye's health care system employs nearly 1.5 million people through family health centers, community health centers and healthy life centers, providing both treatment and preventive health care services.
The minister identified excess weight, physical inactivity and addictions as among the most significant threats to public health, stressing the importance of promoting a culture of healthy living across society.
Under the new campaign, citizens will undergo various physical assessments to determine their "movement age," a measure designed to reflect physical fitness and muscular health rather than chronological age.
Memişoğlu said regular exercise, alongside proper nutrition, plays a crucial role in maintaining overall health and reducing the risk of disease.
"There may be a certain age written on your identity card, but what matters is the age of your muscles," he said. "To keep that age young, you have to stay active and exercise."
The minister also highlighted the role of healthy life centers, noting that Türkiye currently has 348 such facilities offering 17 free services ranging from physiotherapy and dietary counseling to child development support, pregnancy education and cancer screening programs.
Appointments can be scheduled through the Central Physician Appointment System (MHRS) or via family physicians, he added.
Memişoğlu said the ministry contacted 7.7 million citizens last year for cancer screenings, leading to the early detection and treatment of more than 28,000 cancer cases.
Throughout the monthlong campaign, citizens whose assessments indicate a need for additional support will be referred to healthy life centers for physical activity counseling and supervised exercise programs.
