Belarus is preparing an update to the clinical protocol for the diagnosis and treatment of obesity. An expert group has been formed for this purpose, Alla Shepyalkevich, Professor of the Department of Endocrinology at the Belarusian State Medical University and Doctor of Medical Sciences, told the "Medical Bulletin" publication.
Doctors plan to move away from perceiving obesity as solely a cosmetic problem or a result of lifestyle, and instead view it as a serious chronic disease.
According to the STEPS study, conducted using the methodology of the World Health Organization, 25.4% of adult residents of Belarus, i.e., approximately one in four, have obesity.
The updated protocol plans to solidify the concept of "clinical obesity." This will be understood as a chronic disease that arises from disruptions in the functions of organs or the entire body, directly related to excessive accumulation of adipose tissue.
During diagnosis, not only the body mass index will be assessed. Additionally, it is planned to consider waist circumference, its ratio to height, and hip circumference. In some cases, results from MRI, CT, densitometry (which allows for body composition determination), and bioimpedance analysis may be used.
Diseases and other problems associated with excessive fat accumulation are proposed to be divided into three main groups: metabolic, mechanical, and psychological.
Limitations in daily life will become a separate diagnostic criterion. For example, it will be considered whether a person finds it difficult to breathe, climb stairs, or tie shoelaces.
The new protocol also plans to more thoroughly consider the safety of pharmacological treatment for obesity. In 2026, for the first time in Belarus, drugs for obesity treatment based on semaglutide were registered. This substance helps lower blood sugar levels and body weight. According to Professor Alla Shepyalkevich, drugs based on it have a well-studied safety profile.
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