Obesity in Russia: prevalence dynamics and sex and age structure since the end of the 20th century

Abstract

Introduction. The growing prevalence of obesity in the world and the accumulated scientific data and practical knowledge have prompted the World Health Organization to declare obesity a global pandemic and a worldwide public health crisis. According to research, in 2015, 603.7 million adults and 107.7 million children worldwide were obese, and the overall prevalence of obesity was 12.0 and 5.0 %, respectively, while overweight caused 4.0 million deaths and 120 million lost years of life. The purpose of the study: to assess trends and age and sex structure of obesity prevalence in Russia according to different sources. Materials and methods. We calculated the prevalence of obesity using data from Rosstat (2018–2023) and the Russia Longitudinal Monitoring Survey (1994–2022), as well as the structure of obesity by sex and age groups in dynamics, and the structure of obesity by degree (2022). Results. According to the results of calculations based on Rosstat data, the prevalence of obesity among men increased from 17.8 % in 2018 to 20.9 % in 2023, and among women from 24.5 % to 28.6 %, respectively. According to calculations based on data from the Russia Longitudinal Monitoring Survey, the prevalence of obesity among men increased from 8.5 % in 1994 to 16.6 % in 2022, and among women from 21.1 % to 27.5 %, respectively. After 2012, there was no significant increase in obesity prevalence in any of the age groups, with the possible exception of 15–24-year-old men and women aged 65 and older. The data suggests that the obesity epidemic in Russia has stabilized and the increase in the prevalence of obesity in recent years was largely due to the population aging. Also, Rosstat data show an increase in obesity prevalence during the COVID-19 pandemic from 23.0 % in 2019 to 25.0 % in 2021, while the rate remained at the same level (24.9 %) in 2022. In the structure of obesity calculated on the basis of Rosstat data, obesity of the I degree prevails both among men (80.5 %) and women (68.1 %). Conclusion. The growing prevalence of obesity in Russia, given the associated risks of morbidity and mortality, raises concerns and requires appropriate public health measures.