She stated that abdominal obesity suggests an accumulation of visceral fat around the internal organs. This condition is associated with an increased risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, digestive system diseases (metabolically related liver diseases, gallstones, and gastroesophageal reflux disease), musculoskeletal diseases, and reproductive system diseases. Dr. Kartaeva's findings were reported by the "Russia Today" news network, citing the local "Gazeta.ru".

Dr. Kartaeva further explained that to determine the accumulation of fat in the abdominal area, it is necessary to calculate excess weight. To do this, medical associations propose different obesity classifications, with the best being based on the Body Mass Index (BMI). She added, "The BMI is important but not absolute, as it does not encompass growing children, adults over 65, athletes, individuals with large muscle mass, and pregnant women. Moreover, it is worth noting that in cases of abdominal obesity, other parts of the body may not have a significant layer of fat, which can distort the results of the BMI. Therefore, it is essential to measure both the waist and hip circumference."

The Russian doctor concluded by stating that the ideal waist circumference for women should be less than 84 cm and for men less than 94 cm. The hip circumference should be measured at the widest part, after which the waist-to-hip ratio is calculated, where a normal ratio for women is less than 0.85 and for men is less than 1.0.