A study of the problem of obesity in the regions has begun in Russia

On the sidelines of the forum "Russia and the World: Trends in healthy longevity", the official launch of a study aimed at studying the problems of overweight and obesity in the regions of Russia "ORBIT: Risk Territory" was held, initiated by Geropharm in partnership with the National Research Medical Center of Endocrinology. Academician I.I. Dedov of the Russian Ministry of Health and the VTsIOM Analytical Center. This is a new track of the ORBITA scientific research program dedicated to the comprehensive study of the problem of obesity, which Geropharm launched in April 2026.

As part of the study, people will be surveyed and interviewed using specially designed questionnaires that meet WHO standards for assessing risk factors, concomitant conditions, and socio-demographic factors. This will allow an objective assessment of the prevalence of obesity and risk factors in the regions of Russia, the authors of the project said.

For the first time, the study will combine the sociological and medical parts of the question to find answers about the development of the disease. The authors of the initiative stressed that currently there is no answer to the question of the factors influencing the incidence, and it is also unknown why people in different regions get sick with different frequencies. The results will help to create a territorial map of risk factors for the formation of regional strategies for dealing with obesity and metabolic health.

"The existing global analytical models do not take into account many aspects of the development of diseases, including regional peculiarities," said Petr Rodionov, CEO of Geropharm. In his opinion, the study will help to find answers to unresolved questions and "gradually create an environment in which healthy longevity will become the norm."

In turn, the director of the National Research Medical Center of Endocrinology named after Academician I.I. Dedova of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation Natalia Mokrysheva recalled that "the problem of obesity is a matter of both social and individual responsibility." "To solve it, intervention is necessary not only at the doctor and patient levels, but also at the level of the healthcare system and the state as a whole," she is convinced.

Natalia Mokrysheva emphasized that understanding the true prevalence of obesity in Russia in the context of regional characteristics "provides an important basis for the development, planning and implementation of comprehensive measures to prevent this disease." Moreover, according to her, these measures should affect not only the medical, but also the social sphere.

As part of the study, the VTsIOM Analytical Center presented the results of an all-Russian survey on attitudes towards weight control and correction. It captures an important but expected gap between everyday and medical perception of weight, said Ekaterina Yushkina, head of the Social Sphere Practice. According to the report, 61% of the country's population has an above-normal body mass index, meaning they are potentially overweight or obese. However, in the public consciousness, this threat is still disguised as a feature of appearance.

At the same time, 25% of the survey participants have received a recommendation to lose weight over the past three years. This proportion increases with age, reaching 30% in the older group. One in five Russians with pre-obesity considers their weight to be normal. And despite the fact that people regularly monitor their weight, they do not associate it with a disease: 65% weigh themselves at least once a month, but they do it more often out of curiosity than for the sake of health. In such a situation, the doctor's recommendations are rarely perceived as a guide to real action due to the stigmatization of the topic.

Obesity is one of the main risk factors for developing chronic non—communicable diseases that affect the quality and duration of life, such as diabetes mellitus, diseases of the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems, and oncological diseases. According to epidemiological studies conducted by the company, 25-30% of the adult population in Russia is overweight. According to WHO data, 2.5 billion adults aged 18 and over were overweight in 2022, and the incidence is projected to only increase.