This article investigates the case in Russian households which differ in their members’ weight status adjust their food consumption differently when their economic resources change. Using existing household‐panel data from the Russia Longitudinal Monitoring Survey from 1995 to 2005, a estimation of total expenditure elasticities of food expenditures, food quantities, and food quality for normal‐weight, overweight, and obese households, is conducted respectively. The results show that the expenditure elasticities of quality derived for obese households for meat, bread, fruits, and dairy were found to be 15–20% higher than those of normal households. Therefore, it may concluded that a change in economic resources causes obese households to adjust the quality of purchased foods significantly more flexibly than normal‐weight households. In addition, only few differences were found for quantity and expenditure reactions. Our results implied that policies should consider deviations in consumption behavior of normal and obese consumers.