Obesity rates in Türkiye have continued to rise, with new official data showing that more than one in five adults is now classified as obese, while physical inactivity remains widespread and tobacco consumption is increasing.

According to the 2025 Türkiye Health Survey released by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK), the proportion of obese individuals aged 15 and above increased from 20.2 percent in 2022 to 21.8 percent in 2025, based on body mass index calculations using height and weight measurements.

The data showed obesity remains more prevalent among women, with 24.8 percent classified as obese and an additional 32.2 percent falling into the pre-obese category. Among men, the obesity rate stood at 18.7 percent, while 43.1 percent were categorized as pre-obese.

The survey also highlighted persistent problems related to sedentary lifestyles. Among men, the share of individuals reporting no physical activity declined slightly from 85.3 percent in 2022 to 83.5 percent in 2025. For women, inactivity fell from 92.7 percent to 89.7 percent, but remained considerably high.

Despite these small improvements, only a limited proportion of the population reached the physical activity levels recommended by the World Health Organization. Just 4.1 percent of men and 2.7 percent of women met the recommended weekly target of 150 to 300 minutes of moderate physical activity.

Musculoskeletal problems remained among the most common health complaints. Lower back problems ranked first among reported health conditions in people aged 15 and over, affecting 24.3 percent of respondents. This was followed by hypertension at 16.9 percent, neck-related disorders at 16.7 percent, diabetes at 11.9 percent, and elevated blood lipid levels at 10.1 percent.

The report also pointed to growing tobacco use. The share of individuals aged 15 and above using tobacco products daily rose from 28.3 percent in 2022 to 30.1 percent in 2025. Daily tobacco use reached 42.9 percent among men and 17.5 percent among women, while the proportion of non-users declined.

Among children, upper respiratory tract infections emerged as the most common health problem across age groups. In children aged 0–6, upper respiratory infections accounted for 28.5 percent of reported illnesses during the previous six months, followed by diarrhea and lower respiratory infections. Similar trends were observed among children aged 7–14.

The survey also recorded increasing participation in cancer screening programs. The proportion of women aged 40 and above receiving mammography screenings within the previous year rose from 10.8 percent to 16.7 percent. However, 42.4 percent of women in that age group reported never having undergone mammography screening.

Similarly, cervical screening rates improved, with the proportion of women receiving smear tests rising from 7.2 percent to 11.8 percent, though nearly six out of ten women reported never having undergone the test.

The findings suggest Türkiye continues to face a growing burden from lifestyle-related diseases, with rising obesity, smoking, and inactivity increasingly shaping the country’s public health landscape despite gradual improvements in preventive screening programs. (ILKHA)

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