“Unhealthy Diets Linked to 20% of Deaths Worldwide”
In 2017, eleven million deaths worldwide in 2017 were linked to people eating poor diets high in sugar, salt, and processed meat that contributed to heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Of the 11 million in 2017, almost 10 million were from cardiovascular diseases, around 913,000 from cancer, and almost 339,000 from type 2 diabetes. Researchers found that among 195 countries studied, the proportion of diet-related deaths was highest in Uzbekistan and lowest in Israel. The United States ranked 43rd, while Britain was 23rd, China 140th and India 118th. Consumption of healthier foods such as nuts and seeds, milk, and whole grains was on average too low, and people consumed too many sugary drinks and too much processed meat and salt. Experts say this affirms what many have thought for several years. Chris Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, said, “Poor diet is responsible for more deaths than any other risk factor in the world.
