Turkish Schools’ Fast Food Relianceโค Fuels Childhood Obesity โฃCrisis, Experts Warn
Vienna, Austria – September โ23, โ2025 – A concerning trend of rapidly rising childhood obesityโค in Tรผrkiye โwas highlighted atโ the annual meeting of the Europeanโค Diabetes Studies Association (EASD) โคin Vienna today, wiht experts pointing too school canteens as โขa major โcontributing factor.The findings โขreveal Tรผrkiye is โคfacing aโฃ uniquely severe crisis compared to other European nations, driven byโ widespread access to fast food โคand aโฃ lack of nutritious alternatives for students.
Dr.temel โคYฤฑlmaz, President of the Turkish Diabetes Foundation and an Endocrinology Specialist, presented data indicating a strong link between obesity and insulin resistance, noting that 95 percent of โคobesity patients experience hormone problems. He emphasized the urgency โขof the โsituation, stating, “We are the frist in Europe” in terms of both obesity rates and โขtheโค rate of increase.
According to officialโค Ministry of Health โdata from five years ago, 30 percent ofโฃ children in Tรผrkiyeโข were alreadyโ overweight, with an additional 10 percent classified as obese. Dr. Yฤฑlmaz warned that these โnumbers are projected toโ climb, with obesity expected to โreach 36 percent andโฃ a total of 70 percent of children considered overweight.
A key driver of this alarming trend,Dr. Yฤฑlmazโฃ explained, is โthe prevalence of fast food consumption withinโฃ schools. An estimated 7 to 10 million children in Tรผrkiyeโ are regularly exposedโฃ to fastโข food through โschool canteens each year. He pointed out that Tรผrkiye โคis unusual among europeanโข countries in โit’s limitedโ provision of hot, healthy meals inโ primary and secondary education, leading childrenโ toโค develop aโฃ preference for processed โฃand packaged foods from a young age.
“The focalโ point of โฃobesity is bad nutrition,” Dr. Yฤฑlmaz stated. “As of primary school,childrenโ are getting used to โfast food and packaged food.” The reliance on these options, expertsโ say, is creating aโ generation at risk of developing diabetes and other health complicationsโ linked toโข obesity.
