Murashko names obesity as the main factor shortening the years of life of Russians

The minister's statement at the congress

Obesity is the dominant risk factor that shortens the years of life of Russians and provokes the development of chronic non-communicable diseases. This was stated by Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko during the plenary session of the National Healthcare Congress, reports Gazeta.Ru citing RIA Novosti.

Priority of prevention

According to the minister, the topic of fighting obesity remains a priority both in Russia and abroad. He called for paying special attention to prevention and early detection of diseases.

The minister's earlier statements

This is not Murashko's first statement on the topic of obesity: On October 18, he named old age and obesity as the main risks of thrombosis formation, and among the contributing factors he singled out surgery, injuries, acute medical illness, acute respiratory failure, and central venous catheterization. Gazeta.Ru also previously reported on the Russian region with the highest obesity rate. Thus, the minister's new statement continues the line in which obesity appears both as a risk factor for specific conditions and as a nationwide problem affecting life expectancy.

About the congress

The V National Congress with international participation, National Healthcare, is taking place on November 2–3, 2026, in Moscow. The organizers are the Russian Ministry of Health and the Roscongress Foundation, with organizational support from the Federal State Budgetary Institution Central Research Institute for Healthcare Organization and Informatization of the Ministry of Health. Around 4,500 in-person participants and more than 13,000 online viewers are expected to take part, including representatives from more than 30 countries.