On the other hand, according to the global research conducted by Ipsos, 42 of the adults participating in the research from Turkey stated that they gained weight since the pandemic began. Those who stated that they gained weight gained an average of 6.1 kilograms. This data supports our work as TOAD. We all have a role to play in the fight against obesity,” he said.
TOAD Chairman of the Board Prof. Dr. Volkan Yumuk, in his statement on March 4 World Obesity Day, pointed out that obesity is a pandemic of the 21st century, and said, “Obesity was already a serious public health problem before COVID-19, but if measures are not taken with the negative effects of this period, the rate of spread of obesity will increase. will increase,” he warned.
Emphasizing that there are 650 million obese individuals in the world and more than 20 million in Turkey according to the World Health Organization data, Prof. Dr. Yumuk said, “This shows that one out of every three people in our country is obese. Let’s fight obesity, let’s act together for a healthier society,” he said.
Noting that obesity is a complex and multifactorial disease, Prof. Dr. Yumuk said:
“Obesity is not just a disease caused by an eating disorder. Environmental, genetic, psychological factors, lifestyle and medications can also cause obesity. The simplest method to diagnose overweight or obesity is to find the Body Mass Index (BMI) by dividing the body weight (kg) by the square of the height (m2). If this value is 25-29.9kg/m2, it means overweight, if it is over 30kg/m2, it means an obese individual. With the Calculate your BMI campaign initiated by TOAD, everyone can take their precautions by learning their BMI.
TURKEY’S BMI is 28.9
prof. Dr. Volkan Yumuk also made statements about the “Make New Decisions in the New Year, Be One of Those Who Say COME TOGETHER” against Obesity, which was launched at the end of last year on TOAD’s hadibirliği.com website and social media.
“Obesity is a preventable disease. In order to fight, it is necessary to know obesity first. For this reason, we said ‘No one should know the Body Mass Index in the new year’ and invited everyone to enter hadibirliği.com and calculate their BMI. Dr. Yumuk explained the striking results of the call as follows:
“Turkey ranks first in Europe and fourth in the world in terms of obesity prevalence. The campaign we carried out on social media in a short period of 2 months revealed this picture. Since the day we made the announcement, approximately 22,500 people participated in the campaign. The average BMI was 28.9. So, unfortunately, it has been proven once again that we are on the verge of obesity.”
WE HAVE GAINED 6.1 WEIGHT IN THE PANDEMIC
Referring to the negative effects of the pandemic on gaining weight, Prof. Dr. Volkan Yumuk referred to the results of a study conducted by the IPSOS research company:
“One of the most damaging side effects of the pandemic was the inability to manage weight well during the stay at home. According to a study conducted by the IPSOS research company, 42 of the adults participating in the study from Turkey stated that they have gained weight since the pandemic began. Those who stated that they gained weight revealed that they gained an average of 6.1 kilograms during the pandemic.
As TOAD, we have foreseen this danger, so we have drawn attention to this issue by organizing webinars with different content in April-December. We had conversations about proper weight management with our physicians from various disciplines, and we were met with great interest. However, looking at the results of the research, the need for a more collective approach is clearly seen.”
OBESITY INDIVIDUALS HAVE COVID-19 HEAVY
Expressing that COVID-19 is more severe in obese individuals, Prof. Dr. Volkan Yumuk gave the following information:
“There are announcements of the World Obesity Federation or individual studies of physicians in many parts of the world, we know that the results of COVID-19 are worse in individuals with obesity and the disease progresses more severely. According to the results of a new meta-analysis study; overweight and obese COVID-19 patients compared to normal weight patients; It was revealed that they increased by 46 in COVID-19 positivity, 113 in hospitalization, and 48 in death outcome. Not in terms of getting caught, but in terms of treatment, obesity is a disadvantage for COVID-19.”
OBESITY CENTERS MUST BE EXPANDED IN EUROPEAN CRITERIA
Stating that awareness of obesity should be created and the public should be made aware of the fight against obesity, Prof. Dr. Volkan Yumuk said, “It is important to increase obesity clinics and primary care centers. Overweight or obese individuals do not know where to get help about their illness, and they may also be exposed to discrimination and prejudices. In fact, there is a lot of responsibility for all of us in the society in this regard,” he said.
Reminding that Turkey is one of the first 5 countries that define obesity as a chronic disease, Prof. Dr. Yumuk continued his words as follows:
“Obesity is among the priorities of our Ministry of Health in our country. Action Plans for Combating Obesity were made. In this context, obesity centers in European standards were also opened. Good work is being done. However, it is very important to increase and disseminate them and to increase qualified personnel. Obesity requires a multidisciplinary approach. The more obesity centers we have that meet the criteria of the European Obesity Research Association (EASO), the more successful the fight against obesity will be.”
WEAR A YELLOW RIBBON, ATTENTION TO OBESITY
Underlining the need to act collectively in the fight against obesity, Prof. Dr. Volkan Yumuk said, “On World Obesity Day, we invite everyone to support this struggle by wearing a yellow ribbon on their collar or using social media filters.”
Source: (BHA) – Beyaz News Agency
