Russia's obesity crisis worsens: One‑third of population affected
12:27 PM EDT, June 6, 2024
Nearly 2.5 million people in Russia suffer from obesity, though the actual number may be significantly higher. This issue also significantly affects younger Russians, reports the Moscow Times. The Russian Ministry of Health believes that diseases like obesity harm the economy.
Overweight and obesity are considered lifestyle diseases and represent a global problem. Excess body weight is already ranked as the sixth leading risk factor responsible for deaths worldwide.
Every third resident in Russia suffers from obesity, but official statistics show that this only affects 2% of the population, said Deputy Health Minister of the Russian Federation Yevgeny Kamkin, as quoted by the independent Russian portal Moscow Times.
According to 2023 data, the number of obese people is already nearly 2.5 million, which is 2 percent of the population. "These are official statistics, but the actual number is much higher—perhaps reaching even one-third of the entire population," said the Russian Deputy Health Minister.
Even children in Russia have problems
According to Yevgeny Kamkin, authorities face the task of identifying obese citizens and "properly redirecting them." This disease causes severe economic damage in Russia.
Among children up to the age of 14, obesity was found in 108,000 individuals. Furthermore, over 40,000 adolescents aged 15 to 18 were diagnosed with being overweight.
In October 2023, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said that 11% of Russians are obese. The Chief Independent Dietitian of the Ministry of Health Viktor Tutelyan stated that every second adult Russian is overweight or obese, and among children, this diagnosis may apply to 20-25%, reports the Moscow Times.
Russian media also reported that in 2022, 13 million Russians suffered from endocrine system diseases, eating disorders, and metabolic disorders. Among them, diabetes was diagnosed in 5.27 million people and obesity in 2.17 million.
