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Over Half of Russian Deaths Tied to Poor Diets, Consumer Watchdog Says

Dmitry Yermakov / Moskva News Agency

Russia's consumer protection watchdog Rospotrebnadzor has said that over half of the deaths in the country are tied to poor diets and food quality. 

According to World Health Organization (WHO) estimates, more than 60 percent of the Russia’s population is overweight and obesity rates have been on the rise due to deteriorating eating habits.

An estimated 63 percent of deaths in Russia are caused by diseases that arise because of poor nutrition, Rospotrebnadzor was cited as saying by Interfax on Thursday. 

The consumer watchdog placed the blame on a high consumption of sugars, salts and saturated fats, which it said leads to the development of cardiovascular diseases, arterial hypertension and diabetes. 

Rospotrebnadzor also said that obesity among women in Russia is up to 2.5 times higher than among men.

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