Study on Eating Habits and Physical Activity Status in Turkey

Authors

  • Nazif Bagriacik Turkish Association for the Study of Obesity (TASO), Celal Oker Sokak No 10 Harbiye Istanbul, Turkey
  • Funda Elmacioglu Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Marmara University Faculty of Health Sciences, Kartal Yerleşkesi, 34865 Cevizli, Kartal Istanbul, Turkey
  • Sule Sakar Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Bilgi University Faculty of Health Sciences, Kurtuluş Deresi Caddesi, Yahya Köprüsü Sokak No: 1, 34440 Dolapdere, Beyoğlu, Istanbul, Turkey
  • Ceren Yolacan Turkish Association for the Study of Obesity (TASO), Celal Oker Sokak No 10 Harbiye Istanbul, Turkey
  • Sema Yildiz Turkish Association for the Study of Obesity (TASO), Celal Oker Sokak No 10 Harbiye Istanbul, Turkey

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.6000/1929-5634.2013.02.04.4

Keywords:

Nutrition, physical activity, obesity

Abstract

The present study aimed to evaluate eating habits and physical activity status of Turkish population, and to determine nutritional changes. This study was conducted in 12 provinces of 11 regions of NUTS level 1 via a face-to-face interview using a pre-prepared questionnaire and included 1536 subjects aged >15 years with different socioeconomic statuses who eat out at least once in a month.

Of the subjects, 33.6% were overweight, 18.4% were obese and 48% had normal weight.

BMI

%

Overweight

33.6%

Obese

18.4%

Normal Weight

48.0%

The rates of subjects calculating calorie intake (8.4%) and reading nutrition facts label (29.1%) were increased with increasing BMI.

 The most frequently consumed foods were bread, cheese and olive at breakfast, bread, soup, salad, yoghurt, and pilaf at lunch and toast, sandwiches, and Turkish bagels at snacks.

Breakfast

Average(Monthly)

Bread

25.8

Cheese

25.0

Olive

22.8

 

Lunch

Average(Monthly)

Bread

26.1

Salad

17.7

Soup

16.4

Yoghurt

10.4

Pilaf

9.6

 

Snack

%

Toast

33.4

Turkish Bagels

26.3

Sandwiches

25.8

The mean duration of meals was <30 min in 85.8% of the subjects.

Duration Of Meals

%

0-15 minutes

22.7

16-30 minutes

63.3

30 minutes and more

14.1

The most commonly consumed non-alcoholic beverages were tea (95.7%), coffee (58.7%), Turkish yoghurt drink (56.1%), and carbonated beverages (48.3%). Milk consumption was low (20.2%).

Non-alcoholic Beverages

%

Tea

95.7%

Coffee

58.7%

Turkish Yoghurt Drink

56.1%

Carbonated Beverages

48.3%

Milk

20.2%

Alcohol consumption rate was 26.6%. The rate of subjects doing sports was 14.8%, which decreased with increasing age and BMI. In Turkish population, eating habits continued to be traditional, eating awareness and the rate of sport activities were very low.

References

Başbakanlık, Türkiye İstatistik Kurumu (TUİK) [Republic of Turkey Turkish Prime Ministry Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat)] 2011 data. http://www.tuik.gov.tr

Baysal A, Merdol TK, Tasci NC, Sacir FH, Basoglu S. Dietary Guidelines for Turkey: Samples from Turkish cuisine. Food Safety Department, Community Nutrition Division, Ministry of Health, Republic of Turkey. November 2006, Ankara.

Bayram N. The factors of nutrition, life and environment in the treatment of obesity. A Publication of Turkish Association for the Study of Obesity 2007; 2: 32-34. [Article in Turkish].

Besancon OP, Debosque S, Delpeuch F. Mediterranean diet and health: Current news and prospects. John Libbey Eurotext Ltd 2001.

Robertson A, Tirado C, Lobstein T, Jermini M, Knai C, Jensen JH, Ferro-Luzzi A, James WP. Food and health in Europe: a new basis for action. WHO Regional Publications. European Series 2004; i-xvi: 1-385.

Heo M, Kim RS, Wylie-Rosett J, Allison DB, Heymsfield SB, Faith MS. Inverse association between fruit and vegetable intake and BMI even after controlling for demographic, socioeconomic and lifestyle factors. Obesity Facts 2011; 4(6): 449-55. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1159/000335279

Bağrıaçık N, Onat H, İlhan B, Tarakçı T, Oşar Z, Özyazar M, Hatemi H, Yıldız G. Obesity Profile in Turkey. International Journal of Diabetes and Metabolism 2009; 17: 5-8.

Satman İ, Yılmaz T, Şengül A, Salman S, Sargın M, Dinççağ N, Karşıdağ K. TURDEP group epidemiology of diabetes and obesity in Turkey. Diabetes Care 2002; 25(9): 1551-56. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2337/diacare.25.9.1551

Renzaho AM, Swinburn B, Burns C. Maintenance of traditional cultural orientation is associated with lower rates of obesity and sedentary behaviours among African migrant children to Australia. International Journal of Obesity (London) 2008; 32(4): 594-600. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2008.2

Hilbert A, Ried J, Schneider D, Juttner C, Sosna M, Dabrock P, Lingenfelder M, Voit W, Rief W, Hebebrand J. Primary prevention of childhood obesity: an interdisciplinary analysis. Obesity Facts 2008; 1(1): 16-25. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1159/000113598

Baysal A. Food and nutrition policies in Turkey. In Ferro-Luzzi A, Cialfa E, Leclercq C, Eds. Proceedings of a WHO Symposium: Food and nutrition policy in Mediterranean Europe; 1990; Rome, Italy. World Health Organization Nutrition Series 1991; 1: 131-146.

Güneyli U, Yücecan S. Nutritional Habits and Problems of High School Students Living in Different Socio-Economic Sections of Ankara. Bulletin of Diabetes Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty 1985; 4: 277-79.

Merdol TK. Antropology of Nutrition-I. Ankara, Hatipoğlu Yayınları 2012.

WHO, Obesity: preventing and managing the global epidemic. Report of a WHO Consultation. WHO Technical Report Series 894. Geneva: World Health Organization 2000.

Ayaz A, Bilici S. Knowledge and the behaviour of the working and not working women about buying, preparing and cooking of the foods. Nutri Diet J 2008; 35: 31-46.

Başbakanlık, Türkiye İstatistik Kurumu (TUİK) [Republic of Turkey Turkish Prime Ministry Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat)] 2010 data. http://www.tuik.gov.tr

WHO, Diet, nutrition and prevention of chronic disease. Report of joint WHO/FAO Expert Consultation. WHO Technical Report Series 916. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2003.

Arslan P. Principles of diet treatment for childhood and adult obesity. Turk J Endocrinol Metabol 2003; 2: 27-32.

Kolotkin RL, Crosby RD, Kosloski KD, Williams GR. Development of a brief measure to assess quality of life in obesity. Obesity Res 2001; 9(2): 102-111. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/oby.2001.13

Pekcan G, Karaağaoğlu N. State of Nutrition in Turkey. Nutrition and Health 2000; 14: 41-52. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/026010600001400105

WHO, Global strategy on diet physical activity and health. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2003.

Arslan P, Karaağaoğlu N. Health, Status, Diet and Physical Activity Patterns of The Turkish Population. Food Safety and Nutrition Policy: Developments in Safety Assesment and Nutrition Secience ILSI Europe. Working Document 22-23 November Ankara 1991.

Brussels EU/US Conference, Good Practices: Action on diet, physical activity and health. Brussels 11-12 May, 2006.

A research on population and health of Turkey. 1998. http://www.hips.hacettepe.edu.tr/pdf/TNSA1998-AnaRapor.pdf

Arslan P, Bağrıaçık N, Karşıdağ K, Oşar Z, Özyazar M, Şakar Ş, Taşkın M, Yumuk V. National Obesity prevention and treatment guide, Istanbul. Turkish Association for the study of Obesity 2009.

Cunningham SA, Zavodny M. Dose the sale of sweetened beverages at school affect children’s weight? Social Science & Medicine 2011; 73: 1332-39 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2011.08.003

Downloads

Published

2013-12-30

How to Cite

Bagriacik, N., Elmacioglu, F., Sakar, S., Yolacan, C., & Yildiz, S. (2013). Study on Eating Habits and Physical Activity Status in Turkey. Journal of Nutritional Therapeutics, 2(4), 201–212. https://doi.org/10.6000/1929-5634.2013.02.04.4

Issue

Section

Articles

Similar Articles

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.