Scales on the streets and squares have been brought by Turkey as part of a new campaign that has begun against obesity, which has, however, received strong criticism.

The program “Learn Your Ideal Weight, Live Healthy”, announced on Sunday by Health Minister Kemal Memalioglou, aims to control 10 million people until July 10 and includes measurements of body mass index (BMI) in public places.

Health workers have set up scales in public squares in the 81 provinces and stop passers -by to measure height, weight and BMI. People with BMI 25 or greater are referred to State Health Centers and Healthy Life Centers, where they can receive free nutritional counseling and surveillance services.

Turkish officials argue that the initiative is part of a “national battle against obesity”. However, there are a few who criticize this initiative and consider it invasive that stigmatizes individuals while ignoring wider causes of unhealthy lifestyle – including high prices of food, wage stagnation and limited access to financially affordable nutrition.

An X user commented that the Minister of Health should first identify the “hungry pensioners and the workers with the minimum wage wandering on the streets” and then deal with overweight.

Turkey has one of the highest rates of obesity in Europe, with the World Health Organization reporting that 32% of adults were obese in 2023.

Health experts associate the increase in obesity with both lifestyle factors and the deterioration of economic conditions in Turkey, as rising food prices and wage stagnation limit healthy food choices.