We are now competing with America: Prof. Dr. Mehmet Cindoruk reveals obesity figures in Turkey

Turkish Society of Gastroenterology (TGD) President Prof. Dr. Mehmet Cindoruk spoke during the scientific program of the 41st National Gastroenterology Week Congress held at a hotel in Antalya.

The program featured 56 sessions, 12 conferences, 4 panels, 1 video session, and 15 satellite symposiums, with nearly 1,400 participants in attendance.

During the press conference held as part of the congress, the association's president, Cindoruk, stated that obesity has become a serious problem threatening public health.

"30 PERCENT OF THE POPULATION IN TURKEY IS OBESE"

Emphasizing that obesity is increasing rapidly worldwide and has reached epidemic proportions, Cindoruk said, "Obesity is a disease, not a weight problem. It is a major issue in all countries, including both developed and developing ones. Unfortunately, Turkey has reached a point where it competes with America in terms of obesity prevalence; the rates are almost similar. According to the mapping showing obesity risk, we are marked in red just like America. According to the data, 30 percent of our society is obese."

Cindoruk noted that obesity is not just an aesthetic concern but also a significant risk factor underlying many serious diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, respiratory problems, joint issues, and psychological problems.

Explaining that obesity is generally defined as having a body mass index (BMI) over 30, Cindoruk continued:

"However, obesity is a condition that has very serious effects on health, not just physical appearance. Obesity leads to many negative conditions such as heart disease, joint problems, depression, and social isolation, as well as types of cancer such as colon cancer, breast cancer, and cervical cancer."

Pointing out that obesity can have many different causes, Cindoruk stated that genetic predisposition, poor dietary habits, inactivity, stress, and hormonal imbalances are just a few of them.

Cindoruk expressed that obesity is a preventable disease and can be brought under control through healthy lifestyle changes.

"WESTERN-STYLE DIET DISRUPTS THE BALANCE OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM"

Congress President Prof. Dr. Aykut Ferhat Çelik pointed out that inflammatory bowel diseases are on the rise.

Underlining that the exact cause of this disease is unknown, but that genetic and environmental factors play a role in its formation, Çelik assessed, "Environmental factors are triggers. There are now too many toxins in the environment; toxins and microplastics have spread as far as Antarctica, and inevitably, these are ingested in everything. Since the body perceives these as a different antigen, it shows a reactive behavior, and these toxins also damage the beneficial flora in the intestines."

Stating that a serious increase has been observed in the prevalence of inflammatory bowel diseases in Turkey, Çelik expressed that the modern lifestyle brings with it significant risk factors that trigger the disease in individuals with genetic predisposition.

Çelik said, "Environmental factors such as a Western-style diet, high rates of processed foods, exposure to industrial pollution and toxins, smoking, and chronic stress can disrupt the balance of the immune system and be effective in both the emergence and severity of the disease."

Drawing attention to the fact that the disease manifests itself with symptoms such as abdominal pain, chronic diarrhea, bloody stools, fatigue, loss of appetite, and weight loss, Çelik emphasized that it can lead to serious complications if left untreated.

Prof. Dr. Şebnem Gürsoy also stated that colon cancer is one of the rare cancers that can be detected and prevented in advance, noting that colon cancer is the most common type of cancer after lung and prostate cancer in men, and lung and breast cancer in women.