According to research data, in today's Russia 70 percent of children are born with various health risk factors, and this leads to a rapid deterioration of their health during their school years. The health of school students is getting worse as a consequence of the effect of a whole set of social and economic and psychological factors, and the only way to change these negative trends is through the joint efforts of parents, the system of health care, education, and state programs. (Contains 9 tables, 3 figures, and 2 notes.)