More than 70% of the population of the TRNC are overweight

The Minister of Health of the TRNC, Hakan Dinçyürek, made a statement on the occasion of World Obesity Day, observed on March 4th. More than 70% of the population of the TRNC suffer from overweight.

According to the minister, screening for hypertension, diabetes, and kidney diseases, conducted among 4,388 individuals over the age of 18 between 2022 and 2023, showed that 70.8% of the country's residents are overweight or obese.

The head of the Ministry of Health noted that this situation is a serious public health problem that can be called a "global epidemic."

The World Health Organization defines obesity as excessive or abnormal accumulation of fat in the body. A person's body mass index above 25 is considered overweight, and above 30 is considered obese.

Obesity can cause type 2 diabetes, hypertension, stroke, cancer, and bone diseases, as well as increase the risk of death from cardiovascular diseases.