[Obesity as a current social problem]

The increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity, the classification of the population whose age is the most favourable for working activities as patients, considerable prevalence of the disease among children and young people, the disease progress and severe complications make obesity one of the most important problems today. The development of obesity and complications is mainly caused by energy imbalance which gets aggravated in subjects manifesting lipid metabolism pathology. Disorders in the character and rhythm of nutrition are most remarkable in cases of obesity complicated by cardiovascular pathology, diseases of the hepatobiliary system, diabetes mellitus, and so forth. Taking into consideration the significance of the problem of obesity the Institute of Nutrition, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, developed a program of measures whose realization will favour the solution of the Food Program.