It is possible to lose weight with local dishes.

Dietitian Ozgur Haykir, who completed his master’s education at the Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts of Sakarya University of Applied Sciences (SUBÜ), concluded in his thesis that it is possible to lose weight by consuming local dishes.

The master’s thesis titled ‘Analysis of the Use of Local Cuisine in Diet Sustainability: The Sakarya Example’, carried out by Dietitian Ozgur Haykir under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Serkan Sengul, has been completed. In the research conducted within the framework of the thesis, nutrition programs containing local dishes with geographical indications from the Sakarya region were provided to 55 individuals. As a result of the implemented programs, it was concluded that it is possible to lose weight by consuming local dishes.

“We have reached the conclusion that it is possible to lose weight by consuming local dishes,” said Dietitian Ozgur Haykir, emphasizing that the most important factor in the thesis study is portion sizes. He stated, “It was observed that there was a significant decrease in the body weight of participants who continued with the nutrition program. Nutrition experts recommend a weight loss of 0.5-1 kilograms per week in a healthy weight loss program. Considering this situation, an average weight loss of 1.5 kilograms was observed in the two-week process with the nutrition programs implemented within the thesis. In the satisfaction survey conducted with participants at the end of the diet program, which was evaluated out of 50 points, a high satisfaction score of 37.40 was received. Cultural habits should also be taken into account in gaining healthy eating habits for individuals.” Meanwhile, thesis advisor Prof. Dr. Serkan Sengul, the Head of the Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts of SUBÜ, pointed out that local flavors should not be lost, saying, “We followed programs that paid attention to portion sizes. In the nutrition program that included dishes such as ‘Pumpkin Dessert’, ‘Islama Meatballs’, and ‘Circassian Chicken’, we reached the conclusion that it is possible to lose weight by consuming local dishes.”