Excess stress: there are more obese children and teenagers in Russia

A sedentary lifestyle, the availability of fast food and frequent stress are changing the eating habits of Russians — this affects even the youngest. In five years, the number of diagnosed cases of obesity in children under 14 has increased by 28%, and in adolescents by 30%, according to Rosstat data. Experts note that the disease is increasingly detected at an early age, and its consequences can accompany a person for decades. How to reduce the risk of developing the disease — in the material of Izvestia.

Why are there more obese people?

Over the past five years, the problem of excess weight has noticeably worsened: from 2020 to 2024, the number of newly diagnosed cases of obesity in Russia increased by almost 60%. This trend is especially noticeable among minors — the number of diagnoses in children under 14 increased by 28%, and in adolescents aged 15-17 — by 30%, according to calculations by Izvestia based on Rosstat data.

Despite preventive measures and the work of specialists, the problem remains urgent, the editorial staff at the Russian National Research Medical University named after N.I. Pirogov reported. At the same time, children of early and preschool age are increasingly confronted with it.

— Obesity in children and adolescents remains one of the most common endocrine disorders: It occurs in 25-30% of schoolchildren," said Vera Larina, MD, Head of the Department of Polyclinic Therapy at the Institute of Clinical Medicine. — In general, statistics for Russia show a steady increase in the disease among both men and women. Worldwide, the number of cases of obesity has almost tripled over the past 40 years.

According to her, the spread of obesity among children and youth is of particular concern.: This increases the risk of developing diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and malignancies throughout life.

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"The results of a large Russian epidemiological study involving more than 21,000 people show that the number of obese people aged 25-34 is increasing annually among both men and women," the doctor said.

A sedentary lifestyle is one of the main causes of excess weight, Lyubov Drozdova, the chief freelance specialist for medical prevention at the Ministry of Health, told Izvestia.

"It's all about energy balance: when we don't move much, the body spends much less energy than it gets with food," she explained. — This excess is deposited as fat, primarily on the abdomen and around the internal organs. It is the internal fat that is considered the most dangerous for the heart and blood vessels. A sedentary lifestyle is insidious because the harm accumulates unnoticeably.

Due to lack of movement, metabolism slows down, muscle mass decreases, and fat mass increases, so a person begins to gain weight, even if he does not overeat, the doctor noted.

Vera Larina added that unbalanced and unhealthy diets, especially the consumption of fatty foods, lack of sleep and emotional stress, are among the risk factors. Hereditary predisposition and family habits also contribute.

At the end of 2025, the Ministry of Health reported that 480 thousand Russian schoolchildren had been diagnosed with the disease. At the same time, 56% of Russians are overweight, and 26% of the population are obese, Viktor Tutelyan, the department's chief freelance nutritionist, reported in May.

The Federal Center for Nutrition and Biotechnology believes that the increase in the number of reported cases is due, among other things, to the development of diagnostics and earlier patient access to medical care.

"In recent years, preventive medicine has made significant progress, which has led to more frequent detection of diseases," the experts noted. — Existing clinics, health centers and general practitioners' offices have been modernized and new ones have been opened, as well as large-scale educational programs have been launched. As a result, more people began to follow a healthy lifestyle, exercise, and undergo regular medical checkups.

Gastroenterologist Andrey Simakov believes that the real figures may be completely different.

— This is a "grimace of statistics": on the one hand, new cases have become more frequent due to improved diagnostic methods, — he said in an interview with the editorial board. — But on the other hand, a huge number of overweight people do not go to the doctors. Now many people work remotely, move very little, and even stop going to the grocery stores to order home delivery.

The doctor added that fast food is "available at every turn," so eating becomes a form of leisure or a quick way to relieve stress.

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What is the danger of obesity?

Obesity increases the risk of developing cardiovascular and oncological diseases, pathologies of the musculoskeletal system and chronic kidney disease, Vera Larina said.

"A link has been established between obesity and short—term memory capacity, as well as mental health," the doctor noted. — In addition, it has been proven that every increase in body mass index is five units higher than the value of 25 kg/m2 (overweight or obesity — Izvestia) increases overall mortality rates by 29%, and mortality due to cardiovascular diseases by 41%.

Russia is managing to contain the spread of this disease, but there has been no significant improvement so far, according to Dmitry Nikityuk, Director of the Federal Center for Nutrition and Biotechnology, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences. According to Rosstat, 21% of the adult population of the country was diagnosed in 2018. According to the expert, today this indicator remains approximately at the same level.

For prevention, it is necessary to control the volume and quality of food, pay attention to the ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, and avoid "fast food," advises doctor Vera Larina.

— The caloric content of the daily diet should correspond to energy costs, — she emphasized. — In fact, the energy obtained from food must be completely consumed. Daily physical activity has a beneficial effect on metabolic processes, increases the sensitivity of cells to insulin. Studies in recent years have shown that when muscles contract, they release many biologically active substances into the bloodstream that are beneficial to the body.

Dmitry Nikityuk recalled that obesity is a chronic disease, so independent attempts to limit a child's diet without consulting a doctor can harm his health and development.

"The use of strict diets and fasting days in children is not allowed," he said. — It is important to follow the basic rules of nutrition: four meals a day, a mandatory breakfast, control of the size and number of servings, as well as enriching the diet with vegetables, dietary fiber and whole grains.

Only sugary soft drinks are strictly prohibited. The rest of the products are not completely excluded — the main thing is to consume them in a reasonable amount. Another important factor in successful treatment is the habit of eating slowly, consciously and without using gadgets during meals, concluded Dmitry Nikityuk.