Poor Dietary Habits a Global Epidemic

Poor diet contributes to increased risk of early death across the world, according to a new report looking at the global burden of chronic disease published in The Lancet. Researchers analyzed disease risk and mortality for several dietary factors and found that poor diet contributed to 11 million deaths worldwide—nearly 22 percent of deaths among adults—and poor quality of life. Researchers found that high intakes of sodium and low intakes of fruits and whole grains were the leading dietary risk factors in many countries. People living in the United States consumed the highest amounts of processed meat, sugar-sweetened beverages, and trans fats and were among the lowest for whole grain and legume consumption. The report noted that poor diet causes more deaths worldwide than smoking tobacco.