Diet-Related Diseases Are Leading Cause of Death in U.S.

Diseases linked to unhealthful diet and lifestyle choices, such as diabetes and cancer, are the leading causes of death in the United States, according to data published in JAMA. Researchers compared mortality for hundreds of causes and risk factors and found that heart disease, lung cancer, high BMI, and high blood pressure and blood sugar were all among the top risk factors for mortality. Dietary risk factors surpassed tobacco use as the leading cause of death. The authors note differences in risk factors at the state level and recommend targeted approaches to address these issues for disease prevention.