On Monday, Deputy Health Minister Evgeny Kamkin stated that "one in three Russians suffers from obesity," while official statistics record nearly 2.5 million obesity cases. According to official data, around 2.5 million people in Russia are classified as obese, but in reality, every third Russian is affected by this condition. Kamkin made this announcement during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, addressing the seminar titled "Obesity: A Global Epidemic in the 21st Century."
Kamkin noted that "2023 statistics indicate that the number of individuals officially registered with severe obesity is nearly 2.5 million, representing 2% of the country's population. These are the official statistics, but the actual number is much higher and could reach one-third of the total population." He emphasized the necessity for Russia to identify these patients now and provide appropriate treatment or proper recommendations, as obesity poses significant economic damage to the country, amounting to 0.7% of GDP.
He also cited international statistics, stating, "According to the World Health Organization, the number of people suffering from obesity worldwide has tripled over the past 40 years. At the same time, the obesity rate among children aged 5 to 19 years has risen from 1% to 7%." He added, "According to the World Health Organization, obesity is responsible for 2.8 million deaths, accounting for 4.8% of total deaths."
