MOSCOW, January 28. /TASS/. Obesity could soon replace cancer as Russia’s second-deadliest non-communicable disease behind cardiovascular problems, said Gennady Onishchenko, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Deputy President of the Russian Academy of Education.
Onishchenko said that obesity is not just about being overweight, it’s an official medical condition that more and more Russians are being diagnosed with. He noted that obesity is the biggest predictor of developing diabetes.
"We are probably among the top five leaders here, where the rise in overweight people is increasing. It's the fast food we're addicted to, it's the lack of a proper diet. Family values play a role too," said the academician.
Cancer is currently second on the list. Onishchenko noted that the average life expectancy in the country before World War II was about 47 years, whereas now it’s about 74. Thus, cancer is largely a "product of longevity" - the older a person is, the more likely he is to develop the disease.
In general, he said that among non-communicable diseases "the biggest killer is cardiovascular disease, which has steadily topped the list, at least since the middle of the last century, both in national and global statistics."
He noted that the prevalence of cardiovascular disease is the price people pay for being civilized. Stress, anxiety, and a sedentary lifestyle have become modern-day norms.