Dr Alexander Myasnikov, a Russian general practitioner and television presenter, has identified an unexpected cause for the rapidly growing global obesity epidemic, blaming widespread food availability rather than personal willpower.
Writing on his Telegram channel, the physician stated that weight gain around the world is being driven by structural changes in the modern food environment that systematically encourage people to eat more.
Myasnikov explained that the surge in obesity cannot be attributed to a sudden breakdown in self control among millions of individuals. Instead, he noted that food has proliferated into locations where it was rarely sold before, including clothing stores, bookstores, libraries, and other public venues.
At the same time, portion sizes have expanded significantly, while ultra-processed foods are engineered to make stopping difficult. He highlighted that food manufacturers combine fats, sugars, salt, textures, and artificial flavorings to create items that are hard to resist.
Changing food environments
The World Health Organization classifies obesity as a complex chronic disease characterized by excessive fat accumulation that poses health risks. Global health bodies have increasingly highlighted environmental factors, including the widespread availability of cheap, high calorie foods, as primary drivers of rising obesity rates worldwide.
Ultra-processed foods are industrial formulations manufactured mostly from refined substances, extractions, and additives rather than whole foods. Medical reference sources define these products by their high calorie density, synthetic ingredients, and low nutritional value. Researchers note that their carefully calibrated taste profiles are intentionally designed to stimulate appetite and encourage overconsumption.
Myasnikov is a well-known medical commentator and author in Russia who frequently broadcasts advice on preventive medicine, wellness, and healthy living on state television. Telegram, the cloud-based instant messaging and social media platform where he published his post, is widely used throughout Eastern Europe for public channels, news distribution, and personal blogging.
Previous physical activity advice
The doctor's remarks on obesity follow his earlier criticism of the popular health guideline that prescribes walking 10,000 steps every day.
Myasnikov previously emphasized that walking five thousand or seven thousand steps daily provides substantial health benefits. The 10,000-step daily target originally emerged as a commercial marketing campaign in Japan in 1965 to sell early pedometers, rather than as a strict scientific mandate. It subsequently became a standard benchmark embedded in modern smartwatches, wearable fitness trackers, and health applications worldwide.
